Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Gold Coast (Queensland)'

In the mountains of the Gold Coast Hinterland (Queensland, Australia), Euastacus sulcatus (Decapoda: Parastacidae) is the largest aquatic invertebrate, largest member of the aquatic shredder guild, and probably plays a key role in the area’s stream ecology. The objective of this study was to investigate the ecological effects of E. sulcatus in the streams of the Gold Coast Hinterland, but in particular to assess the species’ capacity to act as an effective ecosystem engineer, obtain measures of the ecosystem services provided by the species, and evaluate the likely impacts of the crayfish on downstream water quality. To achieve this objective, an estimate of the population size of E. sulcatus was obtained; a series of experiments measured the species’ capacity to liberate nutrients from leaf litter, reduce the particle-size of the leaf litter, and mobilise and redistribute organic and inorganic materials in a flowing stream environment. This information allowed estimation of the species’ ecological impact(s) per unit time as a measure of the ecosystem services provided by E. sulcatus in the headwater streams of the study area. During this study E. sulcatus was common and abundant with a within-stream density of ~0.5 crayfish m-2. The total population of E. sulcatus in the study area was estimated at >860,000 crayfish. Correction for strong seasonal variation in activity was required for ecological impact calculations, and the “ecologically effective” population was estimated at >570,000 crayfish (biomass ~12 tonnes wet weight (WWT)). Crayfish significantly liberated nitrogen and phosphorus from leaf litter into the water column via consuming leaf litter and excreting nutrients. The phosphorus dynamic was complex, however the overall effect of crayfish was to facilitate eventual “loss” of phosphorus from the system with binding/absorption to substrates, particularly leaf litter, evident as the mechanism. The ecologically effective population was estimated to liberate at least 140 kg of nitrogen, 1.5 kg of phosphorus, and facilitate the loss of around 0.15 kg of soluble phosphorus from leaf litter per annum. Crayfish consumed large amounts of leaf litter while significantly reducing its particle-size. The ecologically effective population consumed at least 14 tonnes WWT of whole leaf litter, producing ~4.5 tonnes WWT of fine particles (<1 mm), with a nett consumption of ~9 tonnes WWT leaf litter per annum. The day-to-day activities of crayfish led to significant mobilisation and downstream export of materials 1 mm diameter, with about half this material of organic origin. The ecologically effective population facilitated the mobilisation and downstream export of around 90 tonne-meters (dry weight) material per annum. Given this annual crayfish-export effect is dramatically overwhelmed by the periodic flood spates in the area, it is unlikely crayfish-mediated export of materials is negative for downstream water quality. In the field it is anticipated that the liberated nutrients will be stripped from the water column by other biota, and/or abiotic processes, and eventually recycled back into and retained in the headwater ecosystems. Similarly, crayfish-mediated particle-size reduction of leaf litter will facilitate further processing by other biota, and recycling and retention of this material in the headwater regions. In the typical baseflow conditions, the instream mobilisation of materials will be positive for maintaining the high quality of water flowing from the headwater streams, by maintaining streambed complexity and ecological processes such as enhanced decomposition of organic detritus. Euastacus sulcatus is a common, abundant and ecologically aggressive species, and the results of this study support a conclusion that this species is an effective ecosystem engineer. The population of E. sulcatus clearly provides a number of ecosystem services, and even lower bound estimates indicate the magnitude of these services are fairly substantial at a local scale, and must be of appreciable benefit in maintaining the function and health of the headwater stream ecosystems.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Calyptorhynchus lathami, the Glossy-black Cockatoo, is a highly specialized monophagous bird feeding only on the cones of Allocasuarina species. Studies elsewhere have shown that C. lathami are restricted by a tight energy budget, forcing them to select high quality food sources, thereby minimizing effort and time in feeding, and resulting in the birds feeding in some trees and ignoring other apparently suitable trees. This specialized feeding habit, in conjunction with recent and ongoing habitat loss, is expected to cause a decline in their population in many localities. This study examined the abundance and distribution of C. l. lathami on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The feeding status and stability of feed trees was examined, comparing between feed and non-feed trees within a site, and between sites, determining why some trees and sites are fed upon, whilst others are ignored. The results indicate that many areas containing Allocasuarinas had little to no current potential as a food source due to low cone production. Ultimately, it was found that many birds were feeding in few suitable sites, with most sites being unsuitable. Where trees with adequate cones crops were observed, it was found that C. lathami would feed in the areas with abundant cones. Within these areas, the birds were feeding on trees with large cone crops. This study also used the number of chewings (pieces of cones: C. lathami feeding residue) to estimate bird abundance. The population size was calculated using the quantity and age of C. lathami feeding in the study area, and their daily food requirements. It was calculated that between 250 and 690 C. lathami were been feeding on the Gold Coast. On-going habitat loss on the Gold Coast may suggests that this population is not stable.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text

Culicoides molestus (Skuse) is the major species of biting midge that plagues human comfort in the estuarine Gold Coast region of southeast Queensland. Local authorities have initiated a search for an effective, non-chemical means of control, that would minimize human-midge interaction. The effectiveness of a program to control an organism, such as a biting midge, is dependent upon knowledge of the biology of the particular organism of interest. This project revolved examines the lifecycle of C. molestus in detail. It addresses questions regarding the location, seasonal distribution, and dispersal of its juvenile stages in the sand of infested beaches, and their response to chemical treatment, the monthly and annual cycles of the adult midge, and the possibilities of achieving laboratory oviposition, as a first step to laboratory colonisation. The distribution of eggs, larvae and pupae of C. molestus was found to be mostly concentrated around, but below, mean tide level. They also occurred well below the mean tide level. Eggs and larvae have been recovered from as deep as 10 cm in the sand. A seasonal study of the juveniles of this species indicated that they were more strongly influenced by tides than seasons. After a routine pest-control larviciding treatment, a beach recolonisation study revealed that beaches become suitable for oviposition approximately two months after treatment. Large larvae invaded the sprayed areas within days of treatment, which suggests the existence of a refuge outside of the reach of the insecticide. Larvae found in clean (egg- and larva-free), isolated sand containers, placed on the study beach, indicated that larvae could swim in or on the water as a way of moving around the beach. Extended bite-rate studies highlighted the existence of four peaks in adult midge biting activity during the course of a year, around the mid seasons. The strongest peaks of activity were found to be in autumn and spring, but the data suggest that the species undergoes four generations in a year. Through a series of trial-and-error experiments, oviposition under laboratory conditions was achieved. Although the time from blood-feeding to egg maturation is not yet well determined, it occurs within an eight day mean survival period. Blood quality appears critical for adult blood-fed midge survival. Midges fed on the blood of a volunteer who was frequently exposed to midge bites do not live long enough to mature its eggs. The partial ovarial development of one unfed adult female, reared in the laboratory, indicates that C. molestus is facultatively anautogenous.

Culicoides molestus (Skuse) is the major species of biting midge that plagues human comfort in the estuarine Gold Coast region of southeast Queensland. Local authorities have initiated a search for an effective, non-chemical means of control, that would minimize human-midge interaction. The effectiveness of a program to control an organism, such as a biting midge, is dependent upon knowledge of the biology of the particular organism of interest. This project revolved examines the lifecycle of C. molestus in detail. It addresses questions regarding the location, seasonal distribution, and dispersal of its juvenile stages in the sand of infested beaches, and their response to chemical treatment, the monthly and annual cycles of the adult midge, and the possibilities of achieving laboratory oviposition, as a first step to laboratory colonisation. The distribution of eggs, larvae and pupae of C. molestus was found to be mostly concentrated around, but below, mean tide level. They also occurred well below the mean tide level. Eggs and larvae have been recovered from as deep as 10 cm in the sand. A seasonal study of the juveniles of this species indicated that they were more strongly influenced by tides than seasons. After a routine pest-control larviciding treatment, a beach recolonisation study revealed that beaches become suitable for oviposition approximately two months after treatment. Large larvae invaded the sprayed areas within days of treatment, which suggests the existence of a refuge outside of the reach of the insecticide. Larvae found in clean (egg- and larva-free), isolated sand containers, placed on the study beach, indicated that larvae could swim in or on the water as a way of moving around the beach. Extended bite-rate studies highlighted the existence of four peaks in adult midge biting activity during the course of a year, around the mid seasons. The strongest peaks of activity were found to be in autumn and spring, but the data suggest that the species undergoes four generations in a year. Through a series of trial-and-error experiments, oviposition under laboratory conditions was achieved. Although the time from blood-feeding to egg maturation is not yet well determined, it occurs within an eight day mean survival period. Blood quality appears critical for adult blood-fed midge survival. Midges fed on the blood of a volunteer who was frequently exposed to midge bites do not live long enough to mature its eggs. The partial ovarial development of one unfed adult female, reared in the laboratory, indicates that C. molestus is facultatively anautogenous.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
School of Environmental and Applied Science
Full Text

Hydraulic lock structures have been used for hundreds of years to control and maintain water levels in waterways. The most common are gated water regulation structures used to catch and divert water, and form an essential and critical part of many flood control and agricultural schemes. Although there are clear economic advantages to building the structures, they can contribute to major water quality problems for the waterways they influence (i.e. increased residence times and a change in mixing ability). Further, in most cases, the methods previously used to assess how the structures and their operations influence the flow regimes between the two connected systems were limited, thus hydraulic designers rely on simple formulations, existing literature and experience. Consequently, the objectives of this thesis were to undertake a detailed field study and develop a methodology and computer simulation tool to calculate the flow through a hydraulic structure connecting two water bodies so that future designs can be undertaken based upon sound knowledge. To demonstrate the outcomes of this thesis, the methodology and model were applied to an existing hydraulic structure (referred to as Structure C). Structure C is used to connect and exchange water between the tidally dominated section of the Nerang River estuary and an artificial lake system (Burleigh Lakes) on the Gold Coast, Australia. The gates of this structure open four times each day (once during each semi-diurnal tidal phase) and remain open for a period of 2 hours, allowing alternative and partial exchange between the two water bodies. To gain a better understanding of the dynamics of each waterbody under the influence of the structure, a series of detailed field experiments were initially undertaken to understand and quantify the exchange of water and its mixing ability. Tide gauges deployed within the lake indicated a water level change during each opening of up to 22 cm, equating to 413,600 m3 of water entering the lake over the 2 hour discharge period. Salinity profiles showed that the structure permitted the exchange of saline and freshwater between the two systems, during each tidal cycle, in turn maintaining the lake system as a saline (brackish environment). However, the field study also revealed that the controlled exchange of water between the systems perpetuated a permanently stratified environment on both sides of the structure. To simulate the flow dynamics influenced by Structure C, new routines were incorporated into an existing hydrodynamic model (BFHYDRO) within the model's grid and computational code, as part of this thesis. To achieve this, the flow in and out of the hydraulic structure cell (used to represent the hydraulic structure's location within the model grid) was calculated entirely from the local water level gradients on either side of the structure at each time-step, and not prescribed. This was found to be essential for complex tidally-dominated systems, such as the Nerang River. Routines were also developed to replicate the opening and closing times of the gates. Following the development of the methodology, the hydraulic structure cells were tested and applied to simulate the flow through Structure C and the complex exchange between the estuary and lake, in 2 and 3-dimensions. Tests indicated that the opening and closing times of the gates and the calibration of the discharge coefficient (which forms part of the broad-crested weir formula) were the most sensitive parameters to ensure the correct volume of water exchange between the two systems. Statistically, the model-predicted results compared very well with available surface elevation data within the estuary and lake, and thus, quantified the ability of the hydraulic structure cells to simulate the flux between the estuary and lake for each opening. Following the model validation process, results from the existing configuration were compared with hypothetical design alternatives and are documented herein. Further, part of the thesis also explored a practical and effective computer based learning strategy to introduce and teach hydrodynamic and water quality modelling, to the next generation of undergraduate engineering students. To enhance technology transfer a computer based instructional (CBI) aid was specifically developed to assist with the setup, execution and the analysis of models' output, in small easy steps. The CBI aid comprised of a HTML module with links to recorded Lotus Screen cam movie clips. The strategy proved to be a useful and effective approach in assisting the students to complete the project with minimum supervision, and acquire a basic understanding of water quality modelling. Finally, it is anticipated that this new modelling capability and the findings detailed herein will provide managers with a valuable tool to assess the influence of these structures on water circulation for present and future operations within the region. This model can also be set up at other sites to pre-assess various design configurations by predicting changes in current flows, mixing and flushing dynamics that a particular design might achieve, and assist with the selection process before the final selection and construction.

Hydraulic lock structures have been used for hundreds of years to control and maintain water levels in waterways. The most common are gated water regulation structures used to catch and divert water, and form an essential and critical part of many flood control and agricultural schemes. Although there are clear economic advantages to building the structures, they can contribute to major water quality problems for the waterways they influence (i.e. increased residence times and a change in mixing ability). Further, in most cases, the methods previously used to assess how the structures and their operations influence the flow regimes between the two connected systems were limited, thus hydraulic designers rely on simple formulations, existing literature and experience. Consequently, the objectives of this thesis were to undertake a detailed field study and develop a methodology and computer simulation tool to calculate the flow through a hydraulic structure connecting two water bodies so that future designs can be undertaken based upon sound knowledge. To demonstrate the outcomes of this thesis, the methodology and model were applied to an existing hydraulic structure (referred to as Structure C). Structure C is used to connect and exchange water between the tidally dominated section of the Nerang River estuary and an artificial lake system (Burleigh Lakes) on the Gold Coast, Australia. The gates of this structure open four times each day (once during each semi-diurnal tidal phase) and remain open for a period of 2 hours, allowing alternative and partial exchange between the two water bodies. To gain a better understanding of the dynamics of each waterbody under the influence of the structure, a series of detailed field experiments were initially undertaken to understand and quantify the exchange of water and its mixing ability. Tide gauges deployed within the lake indicated a water level change during each opening of up to 22 cm, equating to 413,600 m3 of water entering the lake over the 2 hour discharge period. Salinity profiles showed that the structure permitted the exchange of saline and freshwater between the two systems, during each tidal cycle, in turn maintaining the lake system as a saline (brackish environment). However, the field study also revealed that the controlled exchange of water between the systems perpetuated a permanently stratified environment on both sides of the structure. To simulate the flow dynamics influenced by Structure C, new routines were incorporated into an existing hydrodynamic model (BFHYDRO) within the model's grid and computational code, as part of this thesis. To achieve this, the flow in and out of the hydraulic structure cell (used to represent the hydraulic structure's location within the model grid) was calculated entirely from the local water level gradients on either side of the structure at each time-step, and not prescribed. This was found to be essential for complex tidally-dominated systems, such as the Nerang River. Routines were also developed to replicate the opening and closing times of the gates. Following the development of the methodology, the hydraulic structure cells were tested and applied to simulate the flow through Structure C and the complex exchange between the estuary and lake, in 2 and 3-dimensions. Tests indicated that the opening and closing times of the gates and the calibration of the discharge coefficient (which forms part of the broad-crested weir formula) were the most sensitive parameters to ensure the correct volume of water exchange between the two systems. Statistically, the model-predicted results compared very well with available surface elevation data within the estuary and lake, and thus, quantified the ability of the hydraulic structure cells to simulate the flux between the estuary and lake for each opening. Following the model validation process, results from the existing configuration were compared with hypothetical design alternatives and are documented herein. Further, part of the thesis also explored a practical and effective computer based learning strategy to introduce and teach hydrodynamic and water quality modelling, to the next generation of undergraduate engineering students. To enhance technology transfer a computer based instructional (CBI) aid was specifically developed to assist with the setup, execution and the analysis of models' output, in small easy steps. The CBI aid comprised of a HTML module with links to recorded Lotus Screen cam movie clips. The strategy proved to be a useful and effective approach in assisting the students to complete the project with minimum supervision, and acquire a basic understanding of water quality modelling. Finally, it is anticipated that this new modelling capability and the findings detailed herein will provide managers with a valuable tool to assess the influence of these structures on water circulation for present and future operations within the region. This model can also be set up at other sites to pre-assess various design configurations by predicting changes in current flows, mixing and flushing dynamics that a particular design might achieve, and assist with the selection process before the final selection and construction.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Engineering
Full Text

My research makes visible the ‘employment experiences’ of female hotel room attendants working in 5 star hotels on the Gold Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia. I adopt a socialist feminist critical theory epistemological perspective predicated on removing invisibility of hotel room attendants. I perceive invisibility as non-recognition or non-acknowledgement of room attendants by hotel management and some hotel guests, despite room attendants’ conspicuous presence. Although a number of studies comment on the invisibility of hotel room attendants (Lars Onsøyen, Reidar Mykeltun & Trygve Steiro, 2009; Rachel Silvey, 2004; Kathi Weeks, 2004), the authors do not present room attendants’ experiences holistically from their perspectives. I aimed to fill this void in hospitality knowledge by investigating employment experiences of hotel room attendants from their perspectives. To investigate hotel room attendants’ perceived empirical invisibility and guided by my epistemological philosophy, I adopted a qualitative social constructionist grounded theory methodology. In following the original Glaserian tenets, my research was grounded in room attendants’ employment experiences without limitations imposed by assuming any a priori theory. Emerging from my study was the theory of Performing.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
Full Text

This thesis investigated the effects of photographic and text information on respondents' attitudes and willingness-to-pay for a proposed beach protection scheme in the erosion prone Gold Coast region on the east coast of Australia. The research developed two alternative expectancy-value attitude-behaviour models to test residents' attitudes toward relevant targets and behavioural intention, expressed through stated willingness-to-pay, and compared the proposed models with one established attitude-behaviour model. The thesis set out to investigate three central research questions; one question relating to the effects of information on attitudes and willingness-to-pay, and two questions relating to the relationships between attitudes and willingness-to-pay. It was hypothesised that photographs that depicted severe erosion damage would result in more positive attitudes toward, and greater willingness-to-pay for, beach protection than photographs that showed only mild levels of erosion damage. Positive relationships were hypothesised between variables representing attitudes toward beach erosion, attitude toward beach protection, attitude toward paying for beach protection, and willingness-to-pay. Finally, it was hypothesised that the relationships between attitudes and willingness-to-pay could be adequately explained by the proposed attitude-behaviour models. The thesis describes how seven information treatments and eight attitude measurement scales were developed and tested in a pilot experiment before use in a survey of homeowners in the region of interest. Analysis of variance showed that, while respondent's attitude toward beach protection was affected by the information treatments, their willingness-to-pay for the proposed program was insensitive to information. There were no significant effects that could be attributed exclusively to text descriptions of the good but there were significant effects that could be attributed to photographic information treatments. However, none of the effects on attitudes resulted in significant effects on the behavioural intention expressed in stated willingness-to-pay. Analysis of respondents with low previous knowledge of the proposed good revealed more extensive information effects on attitudes, but still not on willingness-to-pay, and this suggests that high levels of previous knowledge in a large proportion of the sample had a moderating effect on attitude change caused by the information treatments. Regression analysis showed that seven of the eight attitude and behaviour variables in the proposed attitude-behaviour model were significant predictors of willingness-to-pay. In the final phase of the analysis, goodness-of-fit indices, estimated using Structural Equation Modelling, indicated a good fit between the data and the attitude-behaviour models tested. Standardised coefficients on the model indicated that perceived behavioural control, expected utility of outcomes, and subjective norms all had strong direct relationships with stated willingness-to-pay, and strong indirect relationships on willingness-to-pay via attitudes toward payment. These results are consistent with the relationships proposed in attitude-behaviour models and the moderating effects of these variables explain why significant information treatment effects were observed on attitude to beach protection but not on willingness-to-pay. This research showed that respondent's willingness-to-pay in a contingent valuation experiment is quite insensitive to photographic treatments when previous knowledge is high and that costly and time consuming testing procedures, recommended by authorities, may not be necessary under these conditions. It also demonstrated that measures of attitude, consistent with an attitude-behaviour model, can be collected easily in a contingent valuation study and can contribute to understanding of participant responses and to identification of protest responses.

This thesis investigated the effects of photographic and text information on respondents' attitudes and willingness-to-pay for a proposed beach protection scheme in the erosion prone Gold Coast region on the east coast of Australia. The research developed two alternative expectancy-value attitude-behaviour models to test residents' attitudes toward relevant targets and behavioural intention, expressed through stated willingness-to-pay, and compared the proposed models with one established attitude-behaviour model. The thesis set out to investigate three central research questions; one question relating to the effects of information on attitudes and willingness-to-pay, and two questions relating to the relationships between attitudes and willingness-to-pay. It was hypothesised that photographs that depicted severe erosion damage would result in more positive attitudes toward, and greater willingness-to-pay for, beach protection than photographs that showed only mild levels of erosion damage. Positive relationships were hypothesised between variables representing attitudes toward beach erosion, attitude toward beach protection, attitude toward paying for beach protection, and willingness-to-pay. Finally, it was hypothesised that the relationships between attitudes and willingness-to-pay could be adequately explained by the proposed attitude-behaviour models. The thesis describes how seven information treatments and eight attitude measurement scales were developed and tested in a pilot experiment before use in a survey of homeowners in the region of interest. Analysis of variance showed that, while respondent's attitude toward beach protection was affected by the information treatments, their willingness-to-pay for the proposed program was insensitive to information. There were no significant effects that could be attributed exclusively to text descriptions of the good but there were significant effects that could be attributed to photographic information treatments. However, none of the effects on attitudes resulted in significant effects on the behavioural intention expressed in stated willingness-to-pay. Analysis of respondents with low previous knowledge of the proposed good revealed more extensive information effects on attitudes, but still not on willingness-to-pay, and this suggests that high levels of previous knowledge in a large proportion of the sample had a moderating effect on attitude change caused by the information treatments. Regression analysis showed that seven of the eight attitude and behaviour variables in the proposed attitude-behaviour model were significant predictors of willingness-to-pay. In the final phase of the analysis, goodness-of-fit indices, estimated using Structural Equation Modelling, indicated a good fit between the data and the attitude-behaviour models tested. Standardised coefficients on the model indicated that perceived behavioural control, expected utility of outcomes, and subjective norms all had strong direct relationships with stated willingness-to-pay, and strong indirect relationships on willingness-to-pay via attitudes toward payment. These results are consistent with the relationships proposed in attitude-behaviour models and the moderating effects of these variables explain why significant information treatment effects were observed on attitude to beach protection but not on willingness-to-pay. This research showed that respondent's willingness-to-pay in a contingent valuation experiment is quite insensitive to photographic treatments when previous knowledge is high and that costly and time consuming testing procedures, recommended by authorities, may not be necessary under these conditions. It also demonstrated that measures of attitude, consistent with an attitude-behaviour model, can be collected easily in a contingent valuation study and can contribute to understanding of participant responses and to identification of protest responses.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Full Text

The study investigated the self-reported information needs and information-seeking behaviour of 143 general practitioners in their delivery of patient care to the elderly on the Gold Coast. The study sought to obtain an information profile in order to begin discussion on the need for possible infrastructures that may need to be considered in any planning strategies concerned with access to and provision of relevant, accurate and timely information to general practitioners which affects their delivery of patient care to the growing number of elderly patients. A ten-page questionnaire utilising both structured and unstructured questions was returned by 61.9 percent of the survey population. Demographic characteristics indicated that respondents were representative of general practitioners in Australia. Respondents frequently needed information with 40 percent requiring it '1 - 4 times a week' and 78 percent 'once a month or more often'. Information on medical fact was required most frequently, 29 percent, medical opinion 27 percent, and non-medical information 23 percent. The study found support for the proposition that computerised information systems need to be enhanced and made widely known and available to general practitioners to assist them in obtaining information that they need in delivery of patient care to the elderly. There is a great need by these general practitioners for non-medical information as well as medical information. Therefore, the development of a database of non-medical information containing information on local agencies and services is of high priority. Library information delivery services should also be de-institutionalised in terms of lifting restrictions to services provided to enable general practitioners greater access to information. Library services should aim to provide remote access to information via telephone, fax and modem with emphasis on value added services aimed at solving a particular specific information need as well as straight-out bibliographic search services and document delivery services. Continuing medical education in the form of CME courses, conferences and meetings should focus on specific information needs of general practitioners in this area of patient care to the elderly. The need for information on cardiology, orthopaedics, dermatology, physiotherapy, podiatry, pharmaceutical benefits, home help, Meals-on-Wheels and nursing home placement were areas of particular interest identified by respondents in this study.

Mode choice models have, in the past, been disaggregated by a range of work and personal trip purposes. Linear expressions have been developed describing the utility or generalised cost of each transport mode option within each trip purpose category. With improving data collection, storage and processing facilities, highly disaggregate models are finding wider application in mode choice modelling. Disaggregate mode choice models developed thus far have not explicitly defined visitor mode choice and have therefore assumed that visitors' mode choice characteristics are similar to those of residents. In areas such as the Gold Coast, Australia, visitors comprise a significant proportion of the overall travelling population and are expected to have intrinsically different mode choice characteristics to those of residents. This thesis investigates the factors which affect visitor mode choice and provides relationships between visitor mode choice and a range of trip-based and visit-based variables. These relationships are intended to be the first step in towards the development of visitor-specific mode choice models. As such, this research is highly qualitative with some basis on survey data. The relationships developed are drawn from the available data, however it is envisaged that further, more rigorous survey would be required to confirm the statistical validity of the relationships developed. Two separate surveys were conducted to collect data on visitor mode choice. The first survey involved a loosely-structured interview survey to develop an understanding of visitor's mode choice thought processes as to when and why they make certain mode choice decisions. The qualitative data collected in the first survey was used to develop a better understanding of the range of variables considered by visitors when selecting their mode(s) for use during a visit. The second survey was an interview survey of potential ferry users within which a range of general mode choice information was gathered. The combination of the more quantitative data collected in the second survey and the more qualitative information collected in the first survey provided the basis for hypothesising the visitor mode choice relationships in this research. The data from both the first and second surveys was collated and analysed to determine key relationships between visitor mode choice and a range of trip-based and visit-based considerations. Duration of the visit was found to be a key determinant of the degree of pre-planning and how fixed (captive) to particular modes visitors were. Duration of the visit was also shown to affect mode choice elasticity for time and cost based variables, as did the availability of a car which essentially removed all other mode choice options from visitor's considerations. Extensions of this research could include quantification of the relationships through detailed interview surveys and the use of advanced technologies (e.g. GPS) to track visitor movements. This data would enable the development of visitor mode choice models disaggregated by visit-type and considering visit variables such as duration of stay, degree of pre-planning, local knowledge and group size; in conjunction with trip-based variables such as frequency, price, comfort and convenience.

This thesis, consisting of a novel and a dissertation, examines the intersections of place, identity and fiction. During earlier studies I encountered nomadology as represented in Stephen Muecke's work on Australian Indigeneity, and also the developments on theories and practices of nomadology undertaken by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. I began to explore the production of culture in cities read through these ideas. In the present work, my thinking and approaches have been extended significantly by Edward W. Soja's insights into lived experience, cities and spaces, and by the rhizomatics of Deleuze and Guattari. What is presented here is a hybrid text - novel and dissertation. Both explore ideas about the production of culture in cities and the exchange of external and internal processes that occurs between people and places. I wanted to articulate what I see as particular cultural processes of postmodern cities, which have developed in ways that depart from conventional understandings of what constitutes urban environments and urbanism. There are co-relations between cities that began in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the increasing global influence of American popular culture, and new millennium developments redefined by technological insurgence. We have seen the emergence of a new kind of city, one that offers accelerated, ahistorical, and dispersed spaces and experiences. My theorising of the 'new frontier city' is explicated in the dissertation, and represented in the novel through the Gold Coast. The relationship between urban formations and postmodern cultural signification is mimicked by the relationship between the two texts. While neither directly refers to the other, an association is developed whereby key characteristics of the new frontier city, such as spectacle, subterfuge, simulation and speculation, are manifested by my fictional characters, thematics and stylistic approaches. In addition, the dissertation sometimes works creatively while the novel is derivative of actual icons, people, monuments and events. The work examines the collapse of distinction between the 'real' (traditionally represented by the city and urban formations) and the hyperreal (presented by fictionality). I see and position the cities of Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Gold Coast as texts - as new frontier cities where the language of signs, simulation and consumption permeates the cultural and urban fabric in intriguing ways. I argue for the new frontier city as a site rich in narrative potential. I critique readings that privilege Euro-centric, modernist notions of high cultural values and cosmopolitanism which continue to exclude the new frontier from 'serious' cultural status. The fascination I experience for the new frontier city is enacted through an amalgam; a methodology which is applicable to the divergent urban and cultural formations of new frontier cities and the kinds of fictions they produce. The assemblaic and nomadic approach taken in the thesis allows for the development of a relationship of association. For though I am influenced throughout by contemporary urban theorists such as Soja, Sudjic and Frost, whose variant perspectives challenge dominant discourses in their fields, the text remains deliberately unsituated. It contributes to understandings in the realm of urban policy and analysis but ultimately functions as a treatise on how the writer can merge both fictional and non-fictional perspectives to construct meaning and narrative in the seemingly random and impenetrable urban landscapes of the new frontier. The novel and dissertation are therefore parallel documents which map this process rhizomatically. I resist explicit and didactic explications in order to 'mimic' (in Deleuzian terms) the more arbitary and distillatory process of the creative writer. The opening chapters of Future Frontier explore the development history of Los Angeles, the Gold Coast and Las Vegas, concentrating on the meaning and characteristics of the new frontier city in relation to the narrative experience. Section Two concentrates on broader definitions of new frontier cities and the contrasts with European architectural and urban experience. Section Three explores the effects of cinema and cinematic mimicry on new frontier cities. This section features micro-concentrations on celebrity worship, reality TV, plastic surgery and the geography of extreme experience. Section Four focuses primarily on the Gold Coast and examines ways in which the distinctive processes of the new frontier have influenced significant subsections of its culture in the arenas of politics, development and architecture. Section Five posits a 'culture of subterfuge'. Here the associated effects of gambling, risk, speculation, crime and fraud are examined. The closing statement, Culture of Contradiction, offers a navigation through the narrative potentials of the new frontier by recognising it as a site fuelled by inherent, overlapping and divergent fictional voices. This analysis informs the stylistic technique of the novel, which features three contrasting voices and timescapes. These 'speakers' converge obsessively on the elusive character of Jade. The key storyteller is The Dealer, a croupier who attaches himself to Jade in ways which are reminiscent of classic noir but subverted by his displacement in the new frontier. His object is to reveal, to 'turn over' the present. Another aspect of Jade's character is evoked by the recollective voice of Anthony who is isolated and remains ignorant of other players in the game. The third voice is representative of the city - the omnipotent eye of the Gold Coast. Each 'version' of Jade's story overlaps the other. Because the reader never gains access to her own interior monologue Jade remains absent, in an intimate sense, while being relentlessly pursued, coveted and externally revealed. Jade, like the new frontier city, must always be read and experienced through the chimera of unreality - through the affected gaze of others - in order to be known. Jade fascinates as the new frontier city does, and she is marked by desire for impermanence.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Arts
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The vulnerability of today's information economy is still not sufficiently realised: The economic structure of Queensland is to a great extent made up of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). Across all industry sectors, these businesses rapidly approach a similar level of information technology take-up than large enterprises and thus depend to an increasing degree on IT efficiency and security. The findings of this study, which has been conducted in partnership with the Information Industries Bureau and the Gold Coast City Council, are drawn from an online survey in order to provide an indication of the present e-security situation in SMEs of Queensland's Gold Coast region. The data shows that the installation and maintenance of e-business technology requires significant time, staff and money resources as well as a constant learning and updating process in order to be on top of the IT development, which is why most SMEs rely to a substantial degree on the expertise and competence of external IT service providers and consultants. E-Business technology is subject to various vulnerabilities. It is necessary to conduct proper risk analysis to gauge the impact and likelihood of any potential business threats. The risks identified in this process have then to be treated with appropriate backup plans. SMEs seem to be overstrained to handle this burden by themselves without the availability of support programs to reasonable charges, for specialised e-security service providers do not target SMEs. Their solutions are too pricey and are not designed to be applied in the setting of a SME. The Queensland Government shows a high level of interest in issues surrounding e-business and their usage. However, e-security issues in SMEs are rarely addressed. Many public funding and assistance schemes seem to be unknown, unattractive, or unsuitable to SMEs. There is an obvious lack of awareness for security issues among SMEs which has to be addressed by developing new and rethinking existing public programs and strategies. To stimulate awareness and appropriate action, it is desirable to provide certain incentives and rewards to enterprises that pass security audits and fulfil Australian security standards. These are essential steps towards the protection against and preparedness for any e-security incidents which both the public and private sector have to take in order to survive something Sam Nunn calls an "electronic Pearl Harbor".

The main objective of this study was to examine the abundance and diversity of ants in suburban sites following vegetation removal or modification for development. This research examines the capacity of suburban sites to support ant diversity, which is dependent on the site characteristics and their surrounding environment. The study focused on 29 suburban garden and 3 suburban reserve sites on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. This region, through continuing land development, undergoes ongoing habitat disturbance and modification. Ground-dwelling ants were collected by pitfall trapping in study sites over three summers between 1997 and 1999. In total, 28,512 ants from 60 species in 31 genera were collected. Garden sites that maintain vegetation structural diversity were found to be most similar to reserve sites in terms of ant community composition. These sites were highest in ant richness and diversity and contained particularly high proportions of specialized ant species. Sites in close proximity to remnants of native vegetation contained higher species diversity and a greater proportion of specialized ant species. The introduced tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala was found in 28 of the 32 sites and was found to significantly reduce ant species richness and diversity and displace the dominant ant Iridomyrmex sp. 1 in suburban environments. This ant poses a serious threat to the recovery of a diverse ant fauna to suburban environments. Ant community composition was shown to vary significantly among suburban sites. The ant functional groups commonly found in disturbed sites were abundant in open sites with little canopy cover in this study. Sites that provided vegetation structural diversity and areas of closed canopy supported similar functional groups to natural vegetation remnants. These results indicate that ant communities in suburban environments respond to disturbance in a similar manner to ant communities in tropical forests and rainforests. The dominance by functional groups and presence of specialized species may therefore be used as an indicator of disturbance and the restoration of suitable habitat in suburban sites. The presence of specialized species of ants in suburban garden sites and their clear preference for particular site characteristics indicate that these species utilize resources available in the suburban matrix. These results indicate that residential suburban sites are of value in the enhancement of ant diversity in fragmented landscapes and that they may provide supportive habitat to, and act as corridors between, vegetation fragments. In order to preserve biodiversity within suburban environments, landowners should be advised to retain as much existing vegetation within a site as possible. Clearing should be limited to that necessary to allow construction of dwellings and for safety. In addition, landowners should be encouraged to establish or maintain structurally diverse vegetation layers within sites in order to provide diverse microenvironments for fauna habitat.

The main objective of this study was to examine the abundance and diversity of ants in suburban sites following vegetation removal or modification for development. This research examines the capacity of suburban sites to support ant diversity, which is dependent on the site characteristics and their surrounding environment. The study focused on 29 suburban garden and 3 suburban reserve sites on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. This region, through continuing land development, undergoes ongoing habitat disturbance and modification. Ground-dwelling ants were collected by pitfall trapping in study sites over three summers between 1997 and 1999. In total, 28,512 ants from 60 species in 31 genera were collected. Garden sites that maintain vegetation structural diversity were found to be most similar to reserve sites in terms of ant community composition. These sites were highest in ant richness and diversity and contained particularly high proportions of specialized ant species. Sites in close proximity to remnants of native vegetation contained higher species diversity and a greater proportion of specialized ant species. The introduced tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala was found in 28 of the 32 sites and was found to significantly reduce ant species richness and diversity and displace the dominant ant Iridomyrmex sp. 1 in suburban environments. This ant poses a serious threat to the recovery of a diverse ant fauna to suburban environments. Ant community composition was shown to vary significantly among suburban sites. The ant functional groups commonly found in disturbed sites were abundant in open sites with little canopy cover in this study. Sites that provided vegetation structural diversity and areas of closed canopy supported similar functional groups to natural vegetation remnants. These results indicate that ant communities in suburban environments respond to disturbance in a similar manner to ant communities in tropical forests and rainforests. The dominance by functional groups and presence of specialized species may therefore be used as an indicator of disturbance and the restoration of suitable habitat in suburban sites. The presence of specialized species of ants in suburban garden sites and their clear preference for particular site characteristics indicate that these species utilize resources available in the suburban matrix. These results indicate that residential suburban sites are of value in the enhancement of ant diversity in fragmented landscapes and that they may provide supportive habitat to, and act as corridors between, vegetation fragments. In order to preserve biodiversity within suburban environments, landowners should be advised to retain as much existing vegetation within a site as possible. Clearing should be limited to that necessary to allow construction of dwellings and for safety. In addition, landowners should be encouraged to establish or maintain structurally diverse vegetation layers within sites in order to provide diverse microenvironments for fauna habitat.
Thesis (Masters)
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
School of Environmental and Applied Science
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Bus priority treatments such as busways, bus lanes and bus priority at traffic signals are all utilised in Australian metropolitan areas. These treatments are designed to reduce the travel time for buses and make this transportation mode more efficient and attractive. The common applications of such treatments for Australian conditions are assessed in this research to identify the travel time impacts of introducing bus priority. This will assist in the selection of bus priority measures on arterial roads for Australian conditions. The methodology applied here entails the identification of optimum conditions for using typical bus priority treatments. This research identifies the number of bus passengers necessary to justify various forms of bus priority treatments with varying traffic conditions. The traffic conditions modelled varied from low through to high degree of saturation for general purpose traffic on the road network. The resultant analyses demonstrated that as the degree of saturation increases, higher numbers of bus passengers are necessary to justify reducing the capacity by introducing bus priority. It is concluded however that an economic analysis using travel time costs should not be the only criteria used to identify the appropriate bus priority treatment. It is suggested that bus priority should be part of an overall traffic management approach in conjunction with cost disincentives to cars and appropriate marketing for public transport. The current trends in bus priority treatments are addressed by considering a case study for the Gold Coast Highway located on Queensland's Gold Coast. This work provides an evaluation of bus priority treatments and conditions for justification for such measures. The research summarises the impact of introducing bus lanes, transit lanes, bus priority at traffic signals and improved passenger information and ticketing systems for the Gold Coast Highway. The analysis indicates that journey time saving for buses of up to 20 percent may be achieved with these bus priority treatments.

This practice-led novel and exegesis explores the characterisation of an anecdotal 1980s Wall Street junket on Queensland's Gold Coast in terms of Foucauldian power and discourse. Problematising the subject's decentred ontology implied by the life sciences, Foucault's theories are adapted to illustrate characterisation as a site of discursive interpellation and contest in neoliberal fiction. Decentred, the subject as a scape of discursive practice reveals the struggle between 'personal discourse' and the organisational power of corporations. This has implications not only for character intentionality and artificial subjects, but provides a framework where humanism and organisational agency can be approached as an ontology of the self.