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TREV - two seater renewable energy vehicleNews and events

 

 

Seminars

 

11 November

Victoria's Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability:  a Retro role in modern centralised and highly controlled government? by Dr Ian McPhail - to be conducted at City East Campus, Hetzel Building Lecture Theatre, Frome Road

Each year the Planning Institute of Australia (SA Division) presents a major public lecture by a distinguished speaker on a topic of relevance to planning policy and governance. The lecture is named after Tom McKenna, Head of Planning at the South Australian Institute of Technology (now University of South Australia) in the late 1970s. This year's lecture is being jointly organised with the University of South Australia as part of the University's celebration of the 60th anniversary of its establishment of Australia's first planning program in 1949. The 2009 Tom McKenna lecturer is Dr Ian McPhail who recently retired after five and a half years as Victoria's inaugural Commissioner of Environmental Sustainability. Prior to that he had experience as CEO of a number of major planning and environmental agencies and organisations, including the South Australian Department of Environment and Planning in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Commonwealth Environmental Protection Agency and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Dr McPhail was also Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority between 1994 and 1999. His role as Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability in Victoria was a statutory position which included, essentially, the task of an auditor reporting on aspects of the government's handling of environmental management in the state, as well as incorporating responsibilities for advocacy and education. As inaugural Commissioner for the first five and a half years he produced a report on metropolitan growth and urban transport called Creating a City that Works, a statement on Energy and the first comprehensive State of the Environment Report for Victoria.  In his lecture Dr McPhail reflects on his period as Commissioner and asks a number of questions, including Has the role made any significant difference?  Is there measurable behaviour change in government?  What are the stresses of a statutory officer acting in a public way within present day centralised and highly controlled government? Is a loose cannon tolerable in these days of careful management of public releases and announcements by governments?  And how does an advocate for sustainable natural resource management make a case in a period of economic downturn with investment, growth and employment priorities far outweighing environmental and resource management priorities? 
There will be wine and cheese tasting following the lecture. Please RSVP to assist with catering to admin.sa@planning.org.au

18 November

Dr Sekhar Somenahalli will present a research seminar on Public transport ridership models at the stop level (pdf file 1.04 MB).  This function will be conducted in room BJ3-34, City East Campus commencing at 1.00pm.  To register your attendance please contact Kylie Fairbank.

 

ISST - Transport Systems

A series of free seminars is held on an annual basis to demonstrate current research developments.  Please download a copy of the flier (pdf file 1.05 MB).  For further information, or to register your attendance, please contact Kylie Fairbank.

 

 

Research scholarship

 

The Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies (ISST) provides a research scholarship program for outstanding students who wish to undertake PhD research studies on a topic included under its research themes, and supervised by an ISST researcher.  ISSTs research themes are:

The Institute's main areas of research expertise cover sustainable energy, transport and land use, planning and construction, engineering design and manufacturing, evaluation and assessment, and mathematical modelling, analysis and statistics.  The scholarship(s) will be open to both Australian and international students.  Benefits are commensurate with those for APAI scholarship holders.

 

Further advice about the scholarship scheme and ISSTs research programs may be obtained by contacting Professor Michael A P Taylor on +61 (0)8 8302 5628 or email: michael.taylor@unisa.edu.au.

 

Conferences/courses

 

Currently no conferences are scheduled

 

 

Distinguished lecturer series

 

Currently no series are scheduled

 

 

General news

 

The Hon Peter Garrett, MP, officially launched the Sustainable Energy Industry Support Centre at Mawson Lakes Campus.  Please visit this page to obtain further information on this event and view the facility.

 

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