Swimming with the desert fishes good news for Murray Darling

18 May 2011

The desert is probably the last place on Earth you’d expect to see a fish. But Dr Adam Kerezsy of the eWater Cooperative Research Centre knows better; he has recorded more than 40,000 desert fish and says the information gleaned may bring good news for the wildlife of the Murray Darling Basin. The Mulligan River  Read More...

Virtual crash test takes crash out of landing

18 May 2011

Mathew Joosten crash tests several helicopters a day, but he’s not daunted by this daring pastime – he uses computer simulation. As a research student of the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures, Mr Joosten has designed a ‘virtual crash test’ that will help accelerate the development of next-generation safety systems. Recent helicopter accidents  Read More...

Measuring up for a sustainable future

18 May 2011

PhD student Jie-Lian Beh is using a surprisingly simple tool to help improve the productivity and sustainability of Australia’s plantation forests. With the help of a measuring tape, she has developed a quick and easy new way to help manage this important Australian resource. Most wood used to build and furnish Australian homes comes from  Read More...

New invention to protect iPod Generation ears

18 May 2011

How loud do you have your iPod? If you couldn’t hear the question, you may be interested in a new way of processing sound invented by Dr Jorge Mejia of the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (HEARing CRC). ‘Binge Listening’, a recent report by the National Acoustic Laboratories found that many young people are at risk  Read More...

Aboriginal public servants undervalued

18 May 2011

Many Aboriginal public servants feel they are under-recognised and under-valued, according to recent research by the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre. Dr Elizabeth Ganter, who interviewed 76 current or former Aboriginal employees of the Northern Territory Government about their experiences representing their people through employment, says her research yields some important messages for government. “While  Read More...

Asbestos identification for better public protection

18 May 2011

The current way we measure asbestos in the air may be inadequate to protect the public from long-term, low-level exposure, says Mr Mike van Alphen of the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE). The key to allowing more accurate identification of the public health risks posed by asbestos  Read More...

Enviro-metal solves helicopter corrosion

18 May 2011

PhD student Parama Banerjee at the CAST Cooperative Research Centre has developed a cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to the toxic coating currently used in Australian naval helicopters. The magnesium alloy used to house the gearbox of Royal Australian Navy SeaHawk helicopters is prone to severe corrosion in marine environments, costing millions of dollars in  Read More...

Milk may help prevent gum disease

18 May 2011

Current treatments for gum disease are expensive and painful. But now Dr Elena Toh of the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre has discovered in milk the key to a new low cost, pain-free solution that may help prevent the disease. Up to 30% of Australians experience serious gum disease. This nasty bacterial infection causes bleeding,  Read More...

Citizen science initiatives to beat rabbits

18 May 2011

Rabbits cost Australian agriculture over $200 million a year and impact on 156 threatened native species.  This war has challenged farmers and researchers for generations and the battle continues. One of the success stories in the battle has been the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). At the CRC Association Conference, the Invasive Animals CRC  Read More...

SmartCap manages fatigue at mine sites

18 May 2011

Drivers of trucks, dozers, graders and excavators will soon be wearing a new ‘SmartCap’ which detects their level of fatigue. Fatigue related incidents on mine sites are a major cause of injuries and deaths, and cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production and accidents each year. Invented by Dr Daniel Bongers  Read More...