While rain water may be free, drinking it may not be risk free, says one Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher. Dr Andrea Crampton, a microbiologist with the CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society, said while drinking water supplied to cities and towns is treated and routinely monitored for bacteria and other potential contaminants, the water drunk by most rural residents living on properties is not monitored and detection and prevention is left in the hands of the consumer. “Drinking water harvested from roofs, bores, dams or rivers could pose health risks to those who rely on it,” said Dr Crampton, who is part of a research team currently testing water from self-managed sources for bacteria and other contaminants. As part of the study, which is running around Wagga Wagga in April and May, participants will be sent a water test kit consisting of a survey, collection bottles, instructions and cooler bag with ice pack to keep water cool. Participants will also be contacted for a telephone interview. Anyone interested in participating in the study and having drinking water tested for free please contact Dr Crampton on (02) 6933 4032 or send an email.

People around Wangaratta including the King Valley who were affected by the 2006-07 bushfires can have their say on their experiences of the fires through a survey being mailed to every fire affected household in the area. Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student Emily Sharp, a member of the University’s Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS),  who is studying the role of trust in developing and implementing fire management strategies, has already done in-depth interviews with 38 people affected by the fires as well as 12 agency staff. She is investigating what factors influence trust between communities and government agencies before, during and after a fire. “People’s experiences of the fires depended on many factors, including where they lived, how much vegetation was around them, the topography, how much experience of fire they had had beforehand, and their confidence in their fire plans.” The survey, to go to up to 650 residents in mid April, will take 25 to 30 minutes to complete. Ms Sharp hopes her research will improve community/government agency relationships.

Recognising the urgent need for adequate Aboriginal oral health in western NSW, Charles Sturt University (CSU), Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) and Bila Muuji Aboriginal Health Service Inc. will join forces, launching two oral health partnerships in Dubbo on Monday 6 April. A Memorandum of Understand (MoU) between CSU and Bila Muuji will be signed to establish a Student Clinical Placement Program for CSU Dentistry and Oral Health Therapy undergraduates at regional Bila Muuji sites and to investigate opportunities of joint research projects. Furthermore, a partnership between Bila Muuji and GWAHS will see the appointment of Oral Health Promotion Coordinator, Ms Kay Jackson. The School of Dentistry and Health Sciences is particularly excited by this partnership. “Bila Muuji clinical activities and CSU’s educational footprint very neatly dovetail across western NSW,” says Professor Ward Massey, Head of School. “The MoU will result in Bila Muuji input into curriculum content and delivery, provision of scholarships for CSU students and patient care at Bila Muuji sites by CSU students and staff.”

Predictions of a looming skills shortage in agriculture are being met head-on with twelve new students starting three-year research doctorate courses this year with the innovative agricultural research group, the EH Graham Centre in Wagga Wagga. As a partnership between Charles Sturt University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, postgraduate education is essential to train the next generation of scientists and researchers who will be ready to meet the research and development needs of Australian agriculture. Director of the EH Graham Centre, Professor Deirdre Lemerle, said, "The Centre’s research into mixed farming - in plant and animal sciences - aims to generate new knowledge to underpin the capacity of farmers to manage risk in a changing environment". The new group of students, who bring the total number of students studying at the EH Graham Centre to 36, are focused on research including animal and crop production, pastures, socio-economic issues relating to the adoption of new technologies, and the impact of agriculture on the environment.

Lecturers at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies have been contracted to provide strength and fitness coaching for elite Indonesian athletes. Dr Stephen Bird and Mr Ben Barrington-Higgs have received a new contract from the Indonesian government’s State Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs, with Dr Bird leading the Indonesian National Top-Tier Athlete Program for 2009. “We are very excited by this development because this is the first time that the Indonesian government has run the Top-Tier Program,” Dr Bird said. “This program supports the top 300 athletes in 45 sports across the broad categories of combat, target, field and water. We have two physical preparation coaches in Indonesia who we oversee, and in April we will travel to Indonesia as part of preparations for the South-East Asian Games in December 2009.” Mr Barrington-Higgs is in charge of the coach and athlete education program.

With parents aware of the importance of life skills for children, Charles Sturt University (CSU) is offering its first Equine School to be held in the NSW school holidays in April. CSU will also help school students contemplating a career in the horse industry with a tailored holiday course in horse riding. “The school is also ideal for young or green horses to enable their owners to provide valuable exposure away from familiar surroundings, with horses given sound basics to go on with at home,” course coordinator Ms Cheryl Gander said. “Sharing life with horses is a wonderful tool in learning important life skills, especially for younger children and teenagers. Horses can teach things like responsibility, humility and patience – all important in everyday life.” The school will be run by experienced instructors in a safe, controlled environment at the CSU Equine Centre at Orange.

Two Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturers were the first Australian academics to recently visit Vladivostok in far eastern Russia to establish contacts and foster collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Far Eastern National University (FENU). Mr Errol Chopping and Dr David Tien, from the CSU School of Accounting and Computer Sciences at Bathurst, held seminars and meetings with key personnel at RAS and FENU to discuss and promote shared project development, collaborative research, and exchange programs for staff and students. Mr Chopping said, “CSU computer science staff have research interests which complement those of the RAS, especially in the use of computer games technology. We detected growing interest to work with Australian universities, government organisations and industry. We even have similar challenges in travel and communications due to our vast and remote locations. A joint conference with RAS is planned for next year.”

The potential of ‘biochar’ for storing carbon in the soil and improving soil health is being investigated by Charles Sturt University (CSU) and a Wagga Wagga community group as part of the University’s commitment to sustainability. Established last December, the CSU Green Office is facilitating community initiatives in a campus-wide drive to reduce energy consumption and water usage. “An initial meeting held in February attracted 18 people including local businessman, farmers, Wagga Wagga City Councillors and representatives from TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and included discussions of biochar,” said Mr William Adlong, Manager of CSU Green. According to the CSIRO, biochar is charcoal created from the heating of organic materials such as crop waste or animal manure in a low oxygen environment.“The group is interested in the potential of biochar to store carbon from the atmosphere for long periods and mitigate climate change, as well as improve soil nutrient and moisture retention and generate electricity from the heat created while producing biochar,” Mr Adlong said.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) community was saddened to hear of the recent death of Mrs Sheila Swain, AM. Mrs Swain was first appointed to the Council of Mitchell College of Advanced Education, a predecessor institution of CSU, in 1981.  She became Deputy Chair in 1984 and was Chair from 1986 to 1988. The building housing the School of Nursing and Midwifery on the University’s Bathurst Campus was named after Mrs Swain in 2000. Mrs Swain was a councillor on Hunters Hill Municipal Council in Sydney from 1971 to 1991, becoming the first woman elected mayor of the suburb in 1980-82 and was re-elected in 1987-89. She was also active in the Australian Local Government Women's Association - as treasurer, secretary, president of the NSW branch and later national president. In 1986 Mrs Swain was named Outstanding Woman of the Year by the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women, and in 1987 was appointed a member of the Order of Australia. In 1989 she established and funded four scholarships for female students at CSU suffering financial hardship.