This submission is provided in the context of the Commonwealth House Standing Committee on Agriculture’s Inquiry into food security. It leverages CDU’s expertise of Northern’s Australia’s social, economic, environmental and climatic contexts which is essential to realising the sustainable development of agricultural industries across Northern Australia. The submission urges the Committee to give urgent attention to improving local capacity in Northern Australia to help prepare for future shocks to food production systems and improve access to food in remote Australia, especially for First Nations people. The Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Project is a key example drawn on in the Submission.
Developing quantitative PCR assays to target microbial nitrogen cycle genes: A new tool to monitor ecosystem function in sediment
The activity described in this report was developed from initial research co-funded by Power and Water Corporation (PWC), Northern Territory Government (NTG) and INPEX. The initial study showed that some bacterial nitrogen cycling genes (functional markers) detected in sediment and water of Darwin Harbour were different between human impacted and reference sites. These included nosZ genes associated with denitrification (the removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds that results in the escape of gaseous nitrogen), archaeal amoA genes associated with ammonia oxidation (the biological oxidation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrite), and nitrite oxidation genes.
The activity described in this report was developed from initial research co-funded by Power and Water Corporation (PWC), Northern Territory Government (NTG) and INPEX. The initial study showed that some bacterial nitrogen cycling genes (functional markers) detected in sediment and water of Darwin Harbour were different between human impacted and reference sites. These included nosZ genes associated with denitrification (the removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds that results in the escape of gaseous nitrogen), archaeal amoA genes associated with ammonia oxidation (the biological oxidation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrite), and nitrite oxidation genes.
One of the most common types of assessment at university is presentations. Presentations at university prepare you for life after graduation when your professional communication skills will be invaluable.
A successful presentation is designed to meet the needs of the audience. Think about this. While attending your presentation, the audience needs to:
listen to your voice; i.e., your pronunciation, language choices and style of delivery
understand the information conveyed by your voice
read the text and the visuals on your slides
understand the information conveyed by the text and visuals
watch your face and gestures
understand the messages conveyed by your face and gestures.
The audience must do all these things simultaneously. This is a heavy cognitive load, so your job is to make it as easy as possible for them. These materials will help you prepare, design and deliver an informative and audience-friendly presentation.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has become an increasingly important field of study at universities around the world.
As you study at university, you may have opportunities to delve into the fascinating field of AI and it is important you recognise the ethical risks and understand how AI can be used responsibly and effectively.
This page will help you to:
· Understand what artificial intelligence (AI) is and how it works.
· Identify different types of Generative AI (GenAI) you can use in your studies.
· Know the ethical risks of using GenAI.
· Critically evaluate GenAI output information.
· Identify when you can, and can’t, use GenAI for your study.
· Write useful GenAI prompts for searching.
· Gain a wider view of the research and news about GenAI.
Please note, AI is a tool not a shortcut. Any use of AI should be ethical, effective, and authorised. Check with your lecturer before using any AI in your studies.
The Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (JSCATSIA) is conducting an inquiry into improving economic self-determination and opportunities for First Nations Australians.
The inquiry examines opportunities and barriers to training, employment, and business development for First Nations Australians, along with the challenges in building the economic and social infrastructure needed to support long-term prosperity. It will explore ways to unlock capital, leverage intellectual property, and utilise the Indigenous Estate and First Nations skills to position First Nations people as key economic partners. Additionally, the inquiry will consider international and intergenerational experiences in fostering economic independence for First Nations communities, as well as other related matters.
The inquiry examines opportunities and barriers to training, employment, and business development for First Nations Australians, along with the challenges in building the economic and social infrastructure needed to support long-term prosperity. It will explore ways to unlock capital, leverage intellectual property, and utilise the Indigenous Estate and First Nations skills to position First Nations people as key economic partners. Additionally, the inquiry will consider international and intergenerational experiences in fostering economic independence for First Nations communities, as well as other related matters.
The draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework (the Framework) has been released, positioning Australia to ensure the sustainability, quality, and integrity of its world-class international education sector. The Framework aims to establish a collaborative path for the government and the education sector to work together, enabling international education to continue delivering significant benefits to the economy, communities, and international students.
Through this Framework, the government is committed to actively supporting a sector grounded in quality and integrity, fostering a managed system that promotes sustainable growth over time, and empowering Australian providers to extend their high-quality education and training globally.
Through this Framework, the government is committed to actively supporting a sector grounded in quality and integrity, fostering a managed system that promotes sustainable growth over time, and empowering Australian providers to extend their high-quality education and training globally.
The Australian Government’s Migration Strategy introduced a new vision for the nation’s migration system, featuring a policy roadmap with eight key actions and over 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform. A key aspect of this strategy includes a commitment to evaluate regional migration settings and the Working Holiday Maker program to ensure that migration supports regional development objectives and does not contribute to the exploitation of migrant workers.
The discussion paper sought input from stakeholders—including communities, businesses, unions, local governments, state and territory governments, education providers, and others—on how to enhance regional migration settings to foster strong and sustainable regions. It proposed objectives for regional migration, opportunities for improvement, and outlined specific questions on which the Government sought feedback to ensure regional migration complements existing government initiatives.
The discussion paper sought input from stakeholders—including communities, businesses, unions, local governments, state and territory governments, education providers, and others—on how to enhance regional migration settings to foster strong and sustainable regions. It proposed objectives for regional migration, opportunities for improvement, and outlined specific questions on which the Government sought feedback to ensure regional migration complements existing government initiatives.
This three-part submission is in response to the government's targeted implementation consultation on key structural reforms announced in the 2024-25 Budget: the establishment of an Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC), the introduction of a new Managed Growth Funding System, and the implementation of Needs-based Funding.
As part of the 2024-25 Budget, the Government is fully or partially addressing 29 of the 47 recommendations from the Australian Universities Accord. These include a fairer HELP system, cost-of-living relief for students, and enhanced support for individuals from outer suburbs and regional areas to access university education, along with significant structural reforms to the tertiary education system.
Among these structural reforms is the proposal to establish ATEC, alongside a new Managed Growth Funding System and Needs-based Funding, designed to better support underrepresented students in higher education.
The Australian Universities Accord Panel recommended that ATEC should act as a steward of the tertiary education system, overseeing the implementation of a Managed Growth Funding System and Needs-based Funding. In this capacity, ATEC would work closely with the sector to create a secure and sustainable funding model, with a focus on growth, skills development, equity, and access at the core of the system.
As part of the 2024-25 Budget, the Government is fully or partially addressing 29 of the 47 recommendations from the Australian Universities Accord. These include a fairer HELP system, cost-of-living relief for students, and enhanced support for individuals from outer suburbs and regional areas to access university education, along with significant structural reforms to the tertiary education system.
Among these structural reforms is the proposal to establish ATEC, alongside a new Managed Growth Funding System and Needs-based Funding, designed to better support underrepresented students in higher education.
The Australian Universities Accord Panel recommended that ATEC should act as a steward of the tertiary education system, overseeing the implementation of a Managed Growth Funding System and Needs-based Funding. In this capacity, ATEC would work closely with the sector to create a secure and sustainable funding model, with a focus on growth, skills development, equity, and access at the core of the system.
The Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 amends the ESOS Act to enhance the quality, integrity, and sustainable growth of Australia's international education sector. The Bill addresses issues highlighted in the Nixon Review and the Government's Migration Strategy by introducing stricter regulations on education providers and agents. Key measures include requiring providers to disclose education agent commission information, considering the ownership or control relationships between providers and agents in determining fitness for registration, and mandating providers to deliver courses exclusively to domestic students for two years before applying to register courses for overseas students. The Bill also empowers the Minister for Education to set enrollment limits for overseas students and introduces automatic suspensions or cancellations for providers that fail to meet specific criteria or standards.
These amendments impact higher education institutions, Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, and schools offering education services to international students, aligning with broader reforms to Australia's migration system. The Bill also introduces measures to automatically suspend or cancel courses identified by the Minister as having systemic delivery issues or providing limited value to Australia's skills and training needs. The changes aim to strengthen the integrity of the sector while supporting the government's priorities for migration and education reform.
These amendments impact higher education institutions, Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, and schools offering education services to international students, aligning with broader reforms to Australia's migration system. The Bill also introduces measures to automatically suspend or cancel courses identified by the Minister as having systemic delivery issues or providing limited value to Australia's skills and training needs. The changes aim to strengthen the integrity of the sector while supporting the government's priorities for migration and education reform.