Research in Focus 

Researching a Garden Paradise for the Community

With only a few months in the making, the aged care facility, The RFBI Basin View Masonic Village, will officially open their aquaponics garden on November 10, 2012.

The aquaponics garden is the first of its kind in Australia and was developed with support from Earthan Group. The original idea came from the residents, staff and auxiliary at the facility.

“We all recognised the need for something different that would provide meaningful and productive activities for everyone involved in the village: self- care residents, hostel residents, residents with dementia, their families and the staff,” said Leonie Fleming, Project Manager. “We contacted Shoalhaven Marine and Freshwater Centre (SMFC) at the University of Wollongong and from there we had a better understanding what was involved in a project of this size.”

Now, with over 60 types of plants, vegetables, fruit and even fish and yabbies, the residents will enjoy sustainable fruit and vegetables all year round.

The design of the garden is based around a three-part structure in the shape of a flower, which was created to allow access for wheelchairs, walkers, and supported exercise. There are three fish tanks and raised horse-shoe shaped soil and gravel beds which are used to grow mature plants.

“The garden provides many therapeutic benefits to our residents ranging from active physical participation in tending the garden through to simply enjoying the garden environment,” said Leonie. The combination of colourful plants, fish and water in a bushland setting creates a relaxing environment. One of the residents with dementia, during a visit to the garden, said ‘I just feel so peaceful up here’. That statement made me realise that this was more than just a garden.

” Even people from the local community have offered help and there are now regular visits from local gardeners, schools, community groups and other seniors. Nutritious fresh produce is available to all that visit the village.

Researching the project, Dr Helen Hasan from the Faculty of Commerce at UOW said there were enormous benefits for the residents and the community. “We are collecting fantastic garden stories from the village staff, members of the auxiliary, self care and hostel residents and even those in the dementia wing. Two aspects of this endeavour stand out: the role of serendipity in the journey of both the project and the research; and the emergent co-operative relationships among diverse network of people who have become involved.”

Basin View Masonic Village is a 50-person aged-care facility owned by the Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution, located in Bay View, just 30kms south of Nowra. It offers independent living, hostel and high-care dementia accommodation.

The aquaponics garden will be officially opened at a Gala event on November 10, 2012 and everyone is welcome: 130 The Wool Road, Basin View at 10am with food, entertainment and displays. For more information contact: Leonie Fleming 44435034 / 0418 204497

IISBoR members achieve a hat trick at Faculty Staff Awards

Congratulations to IISBoR's Ulrike Gretzel, Melanie Randle and Peter Siminski who were recognised for their research achievements at the Faculty of Commerce’s 2012 Staff Awards.

Ulrike received the “Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award” for her leading role in UOW’s success as an outstanding centre of Tourism research, as well as the “Professional Service Award” for her extensive contributions to her discipline through her many roles as journal editor and reviewer, ARC assessor, conference organiser and board member.

The “Early Career Researcher Achievement Award” was awarded to Melanie for her high level of research contributions to UOW, and her tireless work developing industry collaborations.

Peter received a Special Commendation in the “Outstanding Researcher of the Year” category for establishing himself as one of Australia’s leading applied microeconomists.

Morning daily task leads to a day of a trilogy of research successes

When Dr Dionigi Gerace from the School of Accounting and Finance opened his email on Tuesday 12th June it proved to a day to celebrate with a trilogy of research successes.

Together with his Phd student Anthony Flint and Associate Professor Andrew Lepone (University of Sydney) their paper "An Examination Of Intraday Patterns In Liquidity on NASDAQ" was accepted by the journal International Journal of Finance; his paper “International Standard Financial Reports” was accepted for presentation at the World Finance & Banking Symposium in Shanghai, December 17 - 18, 2012; and, Professor La Rocca from the University of Calabria was so impressed by the scholarship of his paper “Corporate Governance and Market Liquidity Impact: Evidence from the Italian Bourse” that he has extended Dionigi an invitation as a visiting professor.

They say good things come in threes...

Future Accounting Education Conference Address

Emeritus Professor Michael Gaffikin of the School of Accounting and Finance recently visited Iran where he presented an opening address to the conjoint 10th Annual Iranian Accounting Conference and the First International Accounting Education Conference held at the Alzahara University in Tehran. The theme of the conferences was the future of accounting research and education and, accordingly, his paper was entitled "The Challenge for Future Accounting Education: a Western Perspective".

He also presented a paper on "Qualitative Research in Accounting" at the conferences and, later, at the University of Shiraz. The conference was attended by about 300 accounting academics from universities across Iran together with several doctoral candidates. Contrary to what we are often led to believe from some of our media hype he found the people gracious and friendly and the country beautiful with many gardens and parks in the cities.

Tehran is a city of over 10 million people which meant there was one downside: it seems everyone has a car so movement across the city is at time tedious and, like many large cities, it suffers serious air pollution. The city of Shiraz, is in the southern part of the country, is less populated and has around it many remarkable historical sites - it is part of the cradle of our civilisation. While there Professor Gaffikin was fortunate to be taken on tour of the ruins of the city of Persepolis the centre of intellectual, cultural and artistic life in the Persian Empire before Alexander the Great and his soldiers laid it to waste.

Auditor-General labels a UOW book as a very useful resource

The second edition of Public Sector Accounting and Accountability in Australia by Professor Warwick Funnell and Associate Professor Kathie Cooper from the School of Accounting and Finance and Dr Janet Lee from the Australian National University was launched at the Australian National Audit Office in Canberra in January 2012. In his address the Auditor-General Ian McPhee commented that the book covers the institutional foundations for our system of government and provides an informative narrative on the relationship between government, the Parliament and citizens; drawing out the various dimensions of accountability, and tracing the journey of public sector reform in Australia. It provides a very useful resource for those working in, or with, the public sector, or are interested in learning about the influences that shape public administration today.

For more information see: http://www.bookshop.unsw.edu.au/bookweb/details?ITEMNO=9781742233048