Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy

Ideas for Honours Projects, Sustainable Development Internships, ISCs and Sustainability Projects in 2009 (and beyond!)

Organisations have requested us to look for students to work with them on the following projects. For more information contact the Coordinator of the Unit in which you are considering enrolling.

1.  The Environmental Health Directorate, WA

·         Develop a consultation process for health impact assessment in indigenous communities – see the WA Env Health Directorate community engagement guidelines for new developments.

·         What do local governments need to know about climate change and health, and what might be in their capacity to do in relation to Climate Change and its health impacts?  Are adaptation strategies adequate?

·         The latest version of Liveable Neighbourhoods and analysis against key health indicators for the creation of healthy communities.

2.  Solar energy user attitudes and practices

A private solar energy company would like an intern to work on a project to ascertain energy efficiency measures that are implemented by their clients as a direct consequence of the installation of a solar system, ie. quantify the raised awareness resulting from a household having a solar system on their roof.

 

Anecdotal evidence amongst their customers suggests that a 1kw system produces around 5 units per day, and that the raised awareness results in an additional up to 5 units per day.  Based on a typical electricity bill of 20 units per household, this equates to a 50% saving (ie 25% from the 1kW system and another 25% from efficiency measures.

 

This could be determined by analysing statistical data from a sample of the Murdoch community that have installed solar, before and after.

 

This data could then be compiled into a community program incorporating the aggregate carbon savings from the community, as well as the 26kW system on the Library roof. 

 

There are a number of paths we could take with this, such as a Murdoch carbon reduction scheme involving the community, or simply looking at a smaller sample of existing and upcoming installations.  Contact Internship Coordinator

3.  Waterwise through Bayswater City Council

Bayswater CC want a student to work the water quality officer in Water wise / nutrient wise use by the community. In particular looking at how to best engage the community in this area and what really creates good behaviour change and what doesn't. This work links to work with the Swan River Trust and Swan Catchment Council (Perth NRM. Contact Internship Coordinator)

4. Requests from Environment House

4.1 Home energy and water auditing (support of our program)
We’d strongly recommend that anyone interested in energy/water efficiency issues sign up for Green Skills’ Home Sustainability Assessment course.
 We’d like to harness up a student to do follow up survey work with people previously audited. We want to find out why some households have done so well and some have made no change. The follow-up survey would also serve as a gentle reminder to keep up the good work.
There’s sure to be lots of practical and policy work in this area over the next few years as user-really-pays electricity pricing kicks in.

4.2 Supporting non-toxic living
Supporting our efforts to raise awareness of environmentally-dodgy chemicals in the home and to cut through the fog of green claims for new products.
We’d LOVE someone with a chemistry background PLEASE!!! (checking ingredients, helping run workshops, making user-friendly charts, leaflets, web page etc.)

 

5. Country Arts Network

Country Arts WA wants help to undertake a community audit of one of two identified regions (Kalgoorlie-Esperance and the Pilbara) to reveal what arts opportunities already exist in these regions, where the gaps are, who the potential partners are and what is the opportunity for Country Arts WA to engage in a sustainable arts development initiative with the region.

6. Biodiversity Corridor along the Northern Foreshore of the Swan-Canning Estuary

The Western Suburbs Regional Organisation of Councils (WESROC) is a voluntary collaboration between the Cites of Nedlands and Subiaco, the Shire of Peppermint Grove and the Towns of Claremont; Cottesloe; Mosman Park and Nedlands that delivers programs and services across traditional local government boundaries (WESROC 2001).

WESROC is leading an initiative to establish an indigenous biodiversity corridor from Point Brown (North Fremantle) to Kings Park (Crawley) along the northern foreshore of the Swan-Canning Estuary.

Under this project you would work with the relevant State government agencies and local government authorities to:

1.   Source all existing Management Plans relating of this section of Riverpark.

2.   Benchmark best practice by comparing the existing Management Plan with each other and appropriate guidance materials, such as the Swan River Trust’s (2008) Precinct Plan Handbook the draft WA Local Government Association’s (WALGA 2008) Guide to Creating Summary Management Plans.

3.   Draft a Management Plan to implement this Indigenous Biodiversity Corridor. 

At the completion this project of you will required to provide a short (10-15 minute) briefing to WESROC’s Greening Strategy Management Committee.

This project will take the equivalent of 45 full-time days to complete.  While WESROC is keen for the project to be undertaken in a timely fashion, there is room for mutually agreed flexibility in terms of contact hours and days.  For example, during the data collection stage of this project there would be bursts of activity mixed with periods low activity while organisations followed up requests for documentation.

7. School Sustainability Plan

Jolimont Primary School want to develop a "Sustainability Plan".  A number of Councils in WESROC are interacting with schools in their areas and we have been talking about developing a regional approach for a while now (WESROC has previously delivered a Waterwise schools program on a regional basis).

 

As Jolimont are really keen to get this project happening at their school, it would be good to run this project as a pilot for the broader regional program, possibly aligned to the Australian Sustainable Schools Program.

 

This is at least a 4 Credit Point project, which could be extended to 8 Credit Point project were the student to develop a strategy for rolling such a project out across the region.  (See Internship Coordinator)

8. Cities for Climate Protection Milestone

A local Council has signed onto Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) initiatives in 2008 and has attained Milestone 4 on the Water Campaign. Of importance is getting the data collection and analysis for CCP Milestone 1 underway so this could be a student project.

9. Local Council and Water Campaign

A local council has signed onto the ICLEI Water CampaignTM and needs data collection and input into instrument for Water Campaign Milestone 4

10 Local council

Wants a feasibility or SWOT analysis of creating/ opening up/ formalising access to a fragile foreshore area of high scientific and cultural significance (contains fossilised shell beds)

 

11. some more ideas to explore with School of Sustainability staff

• Bins and recycling in multi-unit development
• Construction waste/barriers for small builders
• Barriers to small business recycling practices – who pays/who collects/ trial with a member council/ commercial enterprise/row of shops.
• Research issue of single use plastic instruments in hospitals (not clinical waste) re waste/re-use issues.  Possible pyrolysis process – waste to energy.
• Look at policies for bio-sequestration/biofuels/ competition for land with food/food security
• Community gardens – where are they?  Why do they/don’t they work?  Would developers think about providing land on new greenfields estates eg Ellenbrook.
• Footpaths in new developments – how well are they used? What would encourage people to use footpaths/walking more?  What influence does the placement of footpaths have on the price of adjacent land?
• Kids and obesity: what new mum’s want for their children; why don’t kids go out and play? Availability of public open spaces.  New houses/subdivisions often no room for gardens/running around space.  The importance of verge trees in subdivisions.   Effects of distance from play areas.

12. Projects about making travel to university campuses more sustainable

12.1 Literature review with or without interviews about possibilities:

• Undertake review of literature re travel plans and travel demand management for universities and identify success factors and potential travel plan measures that should be considered for the travel plan for Murdoch University.  I have some references that should be useful - Australia and UK.
• Interview randomly selected staff and students about their travel choices and, for those who driver, potential to use alternatives for some trips to/from campus.  The ‘mobility biography’ approach may be useful.  I have material on this – used in a UK study.  Should help undertaken travel decisions including factors influencing mode choice like knowledge, perceptions, family responsibilities and pair or volunteer work.

12.2 Carbon footprint for Murdoch University

• Undertake a carbon footprint analysis for Murdoch University (campus by campus) including staff and student travel.  This would help inform carbon reduction initiatives – including rationale for action on transport.   Some data may be readily accessible (electricity and gas use, on-site generation, fleet fuel use) whereas as work needed to obtain or estimate other data (air travel, commute trips, waste, purchasing).
• Review literature re environmental initiatives in universities to identify drivers for action, barriers to change and strategies for overcoming these.  We discussed a paper on this topic and I know of another study.  Could provide input to the travel plan – identify success factors, structural support needed to initiate and sustain change process.

12.3 Sustainability assessment of Murdoch University vehicle fleet

• Review Murdoch University’s vehicle fleet with a focus on environmental impact and potential to reduce this.  Could consider strategies like central pooling and booking, preferencing smaller engines and low emission options, car share alternative, facilitating carpooling with fleet cars and potential to avoid fleet trips through trip planning, virtual travel (tele/video/web options) and public transport.  Profiling the fleet (make up and fuel consumption) and sampling fleet use records (log books) could provide useful data.

TravelSmart Workplace is helping Perth workplaces reduce car use and promote sustainable travel.  The program is a partnership between the Department of Environment and Conservation & Department for Planning and Infrastructure.  Find out more at www.dpi.wa.gov.au/travelsmart.