A Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD candidate is investigating ways to reduce costly water loss from irrigation canals through seepage and techniques that can be used to plug the leaks. Jacqueline Watt, through the International Centre of WATER located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, has conducted extensive field work in the Coleambally Irrigation Area, in inland NSW and the Rechna Doab Irrigation Area, in Pakistan. In her studies, Ms Watt measured the resistance of the irrigation canal and took soil samples to determine the volume of water leaving the canal. Ms Watt says, “This will provide irrigators with the ability to quickly determine the cost and benefit of lining irrigation canals with different materials, and the length of canal that needs to be lined”.  Ms Watt expects her research will be of great benefit to Australian irrigation companies and hopes that her research in Pakistan will help the technology flow to other third world countries.

Homework has been a tradition in education for decades. Recently, educators have begun to rethink the value of homework, particularly for primary and middle school aged children. Is homework useful? Should our children do homework at all? If so, what would constitute quality homework for children? Dr Tracey Smith from the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Education will use the example of mathematics to address all of these questions at a public lecture at West Wyalong on Wednesday 29 August. It will explore perceptions about mathematics, how it is learned most effectively, how parents can help their children learn mathematics and how mathematics homework might be more meaningfully developed to enhance learning at home, rather than create a battle zone for parents and their children.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedies, depicting a naked lust for power at any cost. Written four hundred years ago, its central theme of power and ambition has contemporary parallels, making the play as relevant now as when it was first written. The University Theatre Ensemble’s production is directed by John Bolton, an award winning director from Melbourne, and features third year acting students from Charles Sturt University (CSU). The play is also designed and stage managed by final year students in CSU’s degree in design for theatre and television production. The play’s director John Bolton has taken an innovative approach to the play by producing a shorter, clearer, playful and vibrant piece of theatre working with the students to dissect the text and incorporate the motifs and symbols at the heart of the play.

A group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students are out to "put the sting" into their more fancied rivals when they compete in the water polo competition in the upcoming Australian University Games, to be held on the Queensland Gold Coast from 23 to 28 September. The CSU Bluebottles, comprising nine CSU students from its Albury-Wodonga and two from Bathurst campuses, boasts seven regular top grade players who have represented the Ovens & Murray Association, NSW and Australian Country Teams. In July, the Bluebottles walked away with a bronze medal at the Australian universities’ East Coast Challenge and are confident of an even better performance on the Gold Coast. Team captain Matt Hogan, who played for the last three years in England and before that had stints with the Cronulla Sharks and Canberra Dolphins in the Australian National League, said, "We are going to the Gold Coast confident in our ability to be competitive. After our top three finish in Sydney we can go to the Australian University Games believing we are a medal chance.” The Bluebottles are looking for support from the Border community to get to the Games. Anyone interested can send an email to csubluebottles@hotmail.com

Innovation in Australia’s agriculture, horticulture and wine industries will be showcased during a visit to inland NSW this Thursday 9 August by a parliamentary delegation from Morocco. The seven member party will tour the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, an alliance between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus. The Moroccan delegation, lead by the national Speaker of the House of Representatives, His Excellency Mr Abdelwahad Radi, will investigate managing and utilising water for irrigation, CSU research into crop root development and water use, forage evaluation and livestock nutrition. The group will also tour Australia’s only accredited laboratory for certifying olive oil exports. The delegation will later visit the Griffith and Leeton irrigation areas.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS), based at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, continues to influence ‘best water management practices’ across the globe. The economics of irrigation systems, climate forecasting and sustainable waste water irrigation and salt management techniques were closely examined by an official delegation of engineers from Argentina during a recent visit to the Riverina. Mr Horacio Diez from the Council of Federal Investment, Mr Juan Cristobal Acuna, Minister of Planning and Public Utilities, and Mr Salomon Lafi, Irrigation and Water Resources Secretary, were guests of CSU and the NSW department of Primary Industries. The party was also briefed on innovative research being undertaken at the EH Graham Centre, an alliance between CSU and the DPI,  before touring the olive oil research laboratory and a 100 year old olive grove located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus.

The International Centre of WATER for Food Security based at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus will host a seminar by Dr Shuqing Zang, Professor of Remote Sensing (RS) and GIS, Vice-Director of Remote Sensing and GIS Department, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology, Changchun City, China. Dr Zang will detail studies on wetland landscape pattern dynamics under heavy human and natural influences. The report will examine two case studies to demonstrate the wetland landscape dynamics under the impacts of human activities and natural factors. One is about the Sanjiang Plain marsh, the biggest freshwater wetland in China, the other is about the Qian’an Group lakes. With the help of RS and GIS techniques, the pattern formation and dynamics of these wetlands with different driving forces can be analysed, helping to protect China’s wetlands.

Following the outbreak of equine flu that has threatened the Australian horse industry, experts from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will provide information and advice at a public forum in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 29 August. Dr Sharanne Raidal, senior lecturer in Veterinary Science at the School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences on Wagga Wagga Campus, says, “This is a very important issue for the Australian equine industry. Halting the spread of disease can only be achieved through strict compliance with DPI instructions regarding movement of horses, personnel and equipment. This means keeping horses at their current locations, and restricting movement of people and vehicles. CSU equine facilities at Orange and Wagga Wagga are providing a good example of doing the right thing by suspending classes and imposing industry-standard precautions to contain the outbreak of equine flu in NSW.”

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) football teams, the Wagga Agricultural College – the Aggies – and the Rivcoll Reddies will go head to head in the Riverina Southern Inland Rugby first grade grand final this Saturday 1 September at Conelly Rugby Park, Wagga Wagga. This is the first time that the teams will play against each other in the grand final. Both CSU sides have played strongly throughout the season, with the Aggies knocking out Temora in the last few minutes of their semi final and the Reddies cleaning up Griffith in their battle for a spot in the grand final. The Rivcoll Reddies will be captained by Mick Smith and Joel Harris, while the Aggies will be lead on by captain Peter Armstrong. The Rivcoll Reddies will also star in the second grade final against Waratahs and are in the under 16’s grand final against Young.