On the 5th and 6th February 2020, a two day international academic workshop was organised by Professor Leanne Wiseman and Dr Kanchana Kariyawasam on the emerging International Right to Repair movement. This event was funded under a Griffith University AEL International Workshop award (which was supplemented by funding from the Law Futures Centre)to invite international scholars to participate in the workshop.We were delighted to host Professor Taina Pihlajarinne, Faculty of Law and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) Finlandand Professor Leah Grinvald, Suffolk University, Boston Massachusetts and Professor Graeme Austin from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand,who were able to provide a European, United States and New Zealand perspective respectively. National intellectual property law experts also were in attendance, as werescholars and experts in the Repair movement from private enterprise/community organisations.This was a fascinating and innovative topic for an academic workshop and there was excellent discussion and engagement by participants.
A public Panel event on the Right to Repair was also organised and held on the evening of Wednesday 5th February at the Southbank campus, which features a panel of 6 experts (including our International visiting academics) to which the public was invited.Professor Leanne Wiseman facilitated an open and intriguing discussion among the panellists and the audience.The forum was well attended and members of the audience were very engaged with the panel and the topic. If you missed the event, the recording can be found here.
For those interested, ABC Radio National broadcast a program on Thursday 13th February, on their Big Ideas program,Encouraging Repair Over Waste, where Professor Wiseman was part of a Panel which provided a range of design, legal and environmental responses to the emerging Right to Repair movement.
New career pathways in intergenerational care practice may be the way of the future according to Griffith University researchers.
Following on from their ground-breaking intergenerational care research, which analysed programs combining aged care and child-care, Professor Anneke Fitzgerald and Dr Katrina Radford from Griffith Business School, said their findings recommended a training qualification for such a career.
“Importantly we see great benefits to both older and younger people in a way that makes us think about the sustainability of the program,’’ Professor Fitzgerald said.
“One way to ensure sustainability is to have a well prepared and skilled workforce, so we are furthering our research into developing intergenerational practitioners – a specificcareer paththat underwrites the intergenerational practice models in Australia.
“Intergenerational care programs offer an effective, alternative model of care in Australia, so this new career pathway may address shortages in both child-care and aged care.”
The researchers have published anevidence-based toolkit for those who want to establish a program connecting younger and older people. It includes costing to set up and run a program as well as a step-by-step guide on how to plan, deliver and evaluate an intergenerational practice program.
“We are also able to share tips on how to conduct the program. We connect three-to-five-year-olds with people over 65 in different modes,’’ Professor Fitzgerald said.
“There is no ‘best’ model, but our evidence showed the program should be 8-10 weeks, 1.5-2 hours per week, with one-on-one interaction between younger person and older person.
“High intergenerational engagement is achieved when doing one-on-one activities, such as reading. There’s less engagement when doing group activities such as dancing or ball games. But we recommend a mix of high, middle and low level of engagement.
“These activities depend a lot on the mobility of older people. We have noticed that all participants greatly enjoy one another’s company, with a lot of laughter and love shared.”
Dr Radford said they also noticed the benefits of older people and younger people learning in a reciprocal way.
“We already know a lot about how younger people learn through pedagogy. However, we don’t know a lot about how older people learn and there is no real establishedeldergogyas yet.
“Our intergenerational practice research is ideal to start developing a theory that supports older people (re)learning.”
She said it was important to understand brain development and brain function decline and how it is influenced by mixing generations.
“We believe bringing together younger and older people has greatbenefits for both. For younger people, in addition to tapping into the wisdom of older people, they are less likely to become delinquent during teenage years.
“Older people are less socially isolated when they mix with younger people. As a result, they may very well delay cognitive and associated physical decline, are more active and happier.”
Griffith University will become the ‘Lead University Partner’ for a new era of the iconic Binna Burra Lodge, which was devastated by bushfires in September 2019.
A long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Griffith and Binna Burra Lodge will cement a strategic partnership between the university and the historic nature-based tourism provider, focusing on the development, interpretation and presentation of collaborative research and educational activities.
Steve Noakes and Professor Martin Betts after signing the MOU
“This collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to support the rebuilding efforts of a much-loved attraction in what is an environmentally and culturally significant part of the world,” Professor Martin Betts, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Engagement), Griffith University, said.
“It will include working jointly on research projects, papers and studies, activities and special events that encourage engagement and profile specific disciplines, work-integrated learning placements as well as practice-based field trips and projects, graduate work-placement programs and collaboration around partnership programs.
“In fact researchers from Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT), Dr Sarah Gardiner and Dr Debbie Cotterell, have already started discussions with Binna Burra around its recovery, gathering key business insights for all tourism operators affected by natural disasters.
“Tourism operators like Binna Burra, who have been affected by natural disasters, need to communicate their recovery efforts to minimise long-term effects on the visitor economy.”
The MOU also supports Binna Burra led initiatives such as the new Ambassador at large for Science initiative, a Science Advisory Group and planning for a new Research and Education Centre as part of the new Binna Burra Foundation.
Steve Noakes, Chair of the Board of Directors at Binna Burra Lodge said the MOU with Griffith University extended their ‘Support Research Program’.
“This program has for many decades encouraged and facilitated scholarly research into many topics which has a relationship to the natural, cultural and heritage landscape of Binna Burra Lodge, located within the world heritage listed Lamington National Park,” he said.
“We will maintain our many links with Universities and other research and education institutions here in Australia and overseas, but, especially given the post-bushfire interest from many Universities, it is beneficial for us to have a closer strategic relationship as ‘Lead University Partner’ with Griffith as the largest University in the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim region.’”
Located within the Lamington National Park in the World Heritage Listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, since it was formed in 1933, Binna Burra has always had strong linkages to education and research activities of many Universities.
It is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register as a place ‘… important in the course of Queensland’s natural and cultural history’ and for almost nine decades, it has been a significant base for a range of physical, biological and social science research and educational activities.
Binna Burra Chairman, Steve Noakes has served as an Adjunct/Visiting Professor at Universities in Australia, Finland and Norway. From 2005 to 2016, he was an Adjunct Professor in Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University and continues now as an Adjunct Industry Fellow within the Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT).
Lili took out Best Documentary at the Hungarian Film Critics Awards this week, after premiering at the Sydney Film Festival last year.
Dr Hegedus said making the film had been an enormously rewarding creative journey.
“To shed light on issues that affect millions around the globe has been a real honour and to have the film recognised on the world stage is particularly special,” he said.
The feature documentary follows a young mother who fled Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, leaving behind her first born child. Decades after she settled in Australia, Lili’s second daughter, Edie, began the search for her dislocated family, travelling across three continents to confront the past.
Dr Hegedus wrote and directed the film, which was shot in Hungary, Canada and Australia.
“This film is about how history shapes the fate of families,” he said.
“What happens to families who are torn apart and how that trauma is passed on to the next generation.”
A Griffith University alumnus, Peter is a senior lecturer and award-winning writer, director and producer whose films have garnered critical acclaim around the world. His documentary ‘Inheritance: A Fisherman’s Story’ was short-listed for an Academy Award in 2004.
Dr Hegedus received funding from Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, Griffith University, FocusFox Studio and Hungarian television to complete Lili.
Health professionals from Papua New Guinea (PNG), who completed a 12-week Graduate Certificate in Health Economics at Griffith University last year, have returned home keen to apply their new skills and make a difference.
23 health workers participated in the study program, which was funded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia Awards as part of an ongoing partnership with Griffith.
Since returning to PNG, Graduate and Acting Deputy Director of Public Health at PNG’s New Ireland Provincial Health Authority, Martha Hilenungu Salihombo, has coordinated a Partnership Forum to campaign for immunisation programs to be delivered at local aid posts rather than district levels.
“When I presented [my project] to management, they could see that this is the way forward. Whereas previously, we were working in isolation,” Ms Salihombo said.
“We’ve realised that one key mechanism to get health services delivered is to involve the communities. [My management] now realise the importance of incorporating health services into the existing government system.”
The Graduate Certificate in Health Economics program has equipped participants with quantitative and analytical decision-making skills that are necessary to address investments in the PNG healthcare sector. The program has also propelled participants towards further study opportunities at Griffith.
Short course graduates Hannelly Kiromat-Geno and Kingston Namun
Following the course, Gigil Marme received a scholarship into a PhD program in Public Health in 2020, where he will be supervised by Dr Shannon Rutherford and A/Prof Neil Harris in public health. Gigil has also applied for a Griffith scholarship for tuition and living allowances.
Another graduate, Hannelly Kiromat-Geno, was recently promoted to Senior Project Manager at Marie Stopes PNG. Hannelly said she had thoroughly enjoyed the course project and developed advanced health economic skills. For her Graduate Certificate project, Hannelly carried out a systematic literature review, exploring the most cost-effective interventions Marie Stopes could fund for PNG youth.
“Completing the Graduate Certificate in Health Economics has given me the skillset to really look at the numbers, data and cost implications; as well as make more well-informed decisions,” Ms Kiromat-Geno said.
“Since I’ve come back, I’m a Senior Project Manager. This means a lot of responsibility and really looking at where I allocate the funding,” Ms Kiromat-Geno continued.
“Coupled with the research and going through the course itself, I’m in a better position to make informed decisions.”
Australia Awards Short Course graduate Tonny Basse
The course was delivered in conjunction with Griffith’s International Business Development Unit (IBDU), Griffith Health and the Griffith Business School (GBS).
Helen Bulle
IBDU Manager, Helen Bulle, congratulated graduates on their achievement.
“This is an important milestone for awardees,” Ms Bulle said. “This qualification will assist in addressing the need for quantitative and analytical skills in decision-making processes within the PNG healthcare sector.”
“IBDU works across diverse cultures, building capacity in emerging countries. We are proud to have designed and coordinated the Australia Awards Graduate Certificate in Health Economics alongside our colleagues at Griffith Health and GBS.”
Australia Awards Short Course Awards offer targeted programs tailored to develop knowledge and skills, address priority human resource development needs and build links between PNG and Australian organisations, in support of the PNG-Australia Partnership. To find out more, visit Australia Awards.
Established in 1991, IBDU brings together Griffith University’s world class education capabilities and its own project management and development assistance expertise to deliver specialised non-award and professional development courses, as well as assist in the development and management of international development projects.
The acclaimed artist is of Wathaurung and Scottish descent and graduated from the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art (CAIA) in 2012 and said she was delighted to return to the QCA to nurture the next generation of Indigenous artists.
“I’m delighted to be the first CAIA graduate to lead the program,” she said.
“It’s exciting and slightly daunting, but I have such a passion for CAIA and I’ve seen first-hand how this program can change lives.”
Dr McGregor completed her PhD at the Queensland College of Art in 2019. Her art practice explores the revival of traditional possum skin cloaks as an art form and a way to strengthen community identity.
Dr McGregor and fellow artist Dr Fiona Foley were appointed as part of a Griffith University Arts, Education and Law (AEL) initiative to build research capacity among First Nations Peoples. It provides pathways for Griffith Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students into an academic career.
“It’s such an important thing for the university to support,” Dr McGregor said.
“I went through the PhD program with other Indigenous artists, and I know how important it is to have that support after you graduate.”
A unique degree
Photo: Isabella Porras
Twenty five years ago, Griffith University created Australia’s first degree solely for Indigenous artists.
As part of their studies, students research their family history and traditions, undertake field trips to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and study contemporary culture and politics while receiving a solid foundation in everything from photography and painting to drawing, sculpture and printmaking.
Over the past 25 years, the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art has nurtured some of the country’s most exciting artists, including Vernon Ah Kee, Dale Harding and Tony Albert.
Design students have brought a splash of colour to Queensland’s largest business park, creating an eye-catching mural as part of Griffith’s new partnership with BTP Workspaces, the largest single property owner at Brisbane Technology Park.
The project involved graphic design students undertaking placements at Liveworm, the Queensland College of Art‘s unique in-house design studio. They created a stunning large-scale mural for an end-of-trip facility, drawing inspiration from local flora and fauna and electrical circuitry.
Brisbane Technology Park is the largest business park in Queensland, located 15 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD in Eight Mile Plains. The precinct is home to a range of businesses that export medical, technology and engineering innovations to the world.
Griffith University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Engagement), Professor Martin Betts, said the three-year partnership with BTP Workspaces would provide a range of work integrated learning placements and pathways to employment.
“Our partnership with Brisbane Technology Park will providegreat practical outcomes for students across a range of disciplines, including science, engineering and the arts.”
Bachelor of Design student Jenny Fox created the winning design. The graphic design major said it was her largest and most ambitious project to date.
“It’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever done and it was so much fun working on this scale,” she said.
“Liveworm has given me the opportunity to collaborate on amazing projects, and I’ve had the chance to explore and expand my practice.”
The project was supervised by Liveworm Creative Director David Sargent and Fine Art lecturer Dr Simon Degroot, who managed the project from design through to installation.
Dr Degroot said the design students embraced the challenge of creating a large-scale public artwork.
“The students come from a graphic design background, but they all embraced this project and rose to the challenge of working on a large-scale work with brushes and paint,” he said.
“This project allowed them to expand their knowledge and skills.
“It’s definitely the largest project they have been part of, and they all jumped on board and worked well as a team.”
Dr Degroot said the artwork provided a unique identity for the precinct.
“This artwork helps individualise the building and creates character and a sense of destination,” he said.
“There are more than 10,000 people who work at BTP and it’s a hive of activity, so this a great showcase for our student work.”
Despite increasing numbers of Indian women becoming entrepreneurs, knowing how and when to ‘go global’ can prevent them from achieving greater business success.
A group of 10 women entrepreneurs from across India completed an intensive week-long bootcamp as part of Griffith University’s program titled ‘Going Global — Enhancing the Intercultural Business Capabilities of Queensland and Indian Women Entrepreneurs’, led by Dr Dhara Shah and Professor Michelle Barker. The project was co-funded with the support of the Queensland Government’s International Education and Training Partnership Fund, managed by Study Queensland within Trade and Investment Queensland.
The bootcamp aimed to build the cross-cultural employability and entrepreneurial skills of 10 selected Indian women innovators, to showcase Queensland as a hub for entrepreneurs, and to link them with Queensland innovators.
Dr Dhara Shah said the opportunity for women to gain the skills to work in culturally, linguistically and socially different environments to overcome personal and professional challenges is what sets the program apart in a dense market of entrepreneurship courses.
“Our aim for female entrepreneurs from India and Queensland is to develop a global entrepreneurial mindset and realise that the international market is open to them,” Dr Shah said.
Showcasing entrepreneurship opportunities between Indian and Queensland entrepreneurs was a key focus of the course. Networking opportunities in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns enabled them to learn from each other, find similarities in their businesses, and identify opportunities to work together.
The bootcamp included a trip to Cairns where the women met with members of CQUniversity’s First People’s Think Tank and other indigenous business women from the local community. Local and state politicians, and community leaders attended the welcome function and mingled with the women.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning (centre), surrounded by female entrepreneurs from India and Associate Professor Henrietta Marrie (CQU) and leading Indigenous business women from the Cairns region. (Photo credit: CQUniversity)
Following the event, the Indian entrepreneurs travelled to the Yarrabah Arts and Cultural Precinct to meet with the Manager, Mr Darrell Harris and local indigenous artists. The women were also welcomed by the Mayor of Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council, Mr Ross Andrews and Councillor Nadine Cannon. They toured the Aboriginal community to better understand the potential for business links in rural areas.
Indian entrepreneurs meet with indigenous women, and Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Councillor and Mayor at the Yarrabah Arts and Cultural Precinct.
Going Global participant and Founder of Dasha Food Products, Vaishnavi Rajan, said the course was a wonderful platform to learn. “We’re trying to bring out products from our part of the country to see if they can be accepted worldwide,” Ms Rajan said.
Dasha Food Products is an all-natural manufacturer of artisan flours made from Sprouted Pulses, grains and millets. “It’s also been beneficial to understand the palette and the nature of food accepted in this country. Trading of products is the essential idea.”
When speaking about the entrepreneurs she had connected with over the course of the bootcamp, Ms Rajan said, “though we come from different backgrounds with varied reasons to start up a business, we’ve found that there’s been a uniting factor that all of us have something to prove and something to give back to society.”
Another participant, the President of Shri Krishna Educational Society, Dr Shaloo Chopra, said “now we’re realising that we’re not the only ones who are going through these hurdles and struggles. It is happening everywhere in the world.”
Course participant Shakti Kaur in discussion with Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Councillor Nadine Cannon.
“These networking sessions have been amazing. They are very important for our businesses and our two nations,” Dr Chopra continued.
Equipped with new insights into Queensland and Australia as international markets, participants commented that the bootcamp empowered them to realise their full potential in business and ultimately enhance Queensland-India relationships, economic growth and job creation.
The inability to repair our modern tech gadgets has not gone unnoticed. Consumers are frustrated at their inability to repair their goods as well as the high cost of repair, if it is available. Many repairers have also highlighted that they are often unable to repair these tech products as they cannot access the relevant technological information. There is an increasing push from consumers that they should not be forced to upgrade to the newest model every time a part of their product or device breaks.
The issue of access to repairs was highlighted in an action before the Australian Federal Court in 2018, when the ACCC brought an action against Apple for telling consumers that their warranty would not be honoured if they took their iPhone to a third-party repairer. This was found to be a breach of the Australian Consumer Guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law. Apple Inc was fined $9m for this breach. This case sent a strong message to the community that manufacturers should not be controlling the aftermarket to the exclusions of others.
The car repair industry is one industry where the issue of the inaccessibility and high costs of access repair software has drawn the attention of the regulators. Rod Sims, the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has observed, that ‘today’s new cars contain in excess of 10 million lines of computer code, more code than is used to operate the avionics and on-board support systems of modern airliners….[making them] effectively “computers on wheels’. But this comes at a high price for those who repair the vehicles. As one car repairer observed, ‘we could spend up to $300 a month on data just to be able to fix a certain model of car. It’s not cheap and there’s a lot you still can’t get from the dealers’. Some repairers have complained that they were working 12-hour days mostly researching how to fix technical equipment in cars, noting ‘twenty years ago, I could probably charge out four or five hours a day… with another mechanic working with me. Today, I’m lucky to charge out two because I’m forever either quoting or trying to get information.’
In 2018, the ACCC recommended that there be a Mandatory scheme for the Sharing of car repair and service information. Our analysis of this scheme suggests that this could potentially be used as a basis for a broader discussion about how Australia should respond to the International Right to Repair movement.
The International Right to Repair movement
It has been suggested by leading US Professor Aaron Perzanowski, that by denying consumers the ability to repair their goods, manufacturers of ‘smart’ goods are challenging, and even undermining, the very notion of physical ownership. Globally, there has been a groundswell of support from many different groups of consumers: motorists, farmers, consumers and environmentalists for a Right to Repair. What this really means is that the owners of good should be able to open their goods, repair those good or access repair services or repair information for themselves, or through a third party of their choosing.
The initial Right to Repair legislation passed in Massachusetts in 2012, that gave motorists access to car spare parts and repair services from parties other than the original equipment manufacturer has spurred on a broader Right to Repair movement in the US. In 2019, there are now 20 US States with proposed Right to Repair legislation: some focussing on broad consumable, others on farm equipment and cars etc. Interestingly, in the EU, the Right to Repair regime is being implemented through an environmental push for longevity and repairability of consumables through the EU EcoDesign Directive coming into force in 2021 where manufactures will be required to provide spare part for the goods for up to 10 years.
In Australia, we are yet to consider the role that a Right to Repair could play in the Australian economy and in its environmental future. However, the Australian Government is aware and concerned about Australian consumers’ inability to have faulty smart or digital goods and cars repaired at a competitive price by a manufacturer, a third party or in some instances, self-repair. A recent meeting of Australian Ministers for Consumer Affairs and their New Zealand counterparts inAugust 2019 reached the conclusion that laws should be considered to boost people’s ability to repair their phones and other electronic goods. Following this lead, in lateAugust 2019, the Federal Minister and Assistant Treasurer, Michael Sukkar requested the Australian Treasurer add the ‘Right to Repair’ to the Productivity Commission’s future agenda.
The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre in Sydney have been a long-time supporter of a Right to Repair. In October 2019, they began an online petition for a Right to Repair for Australia, which has been given support by both sides of politics: by the Federal Labor Member for Parramatta, Julie Owens: ‘We have all found times when we have thrown something out because it was too costly to repair it or could not get it repaired and it has gone into landfill when it probably had years of life yet. The right-to-repair campaign asks that manufacturers produce goods that are fixable, ensuring manuals and spare parts are easily available and allowingeveryday Australians to make reasonable attempts to repair items without risk of voiding the warranty.’Sheconcluded by stating: ‘this is a debate we have to have’(Owens, 2019). The Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, has also confirmed the Australian Government’s interest in the Right to Repair when she also commended The Bower’s campaign, noting the environmental benefits of a Right to Repair.
We need to learn from the different approaches being taking internationally to the Right to Repair, with a view to developing a policy and regulatory response in Australia. This is a focus of our ongoing research on the legal and regulatory responses to the Right to Repair movement. The concern is that Australian consumers may be disadvantaged if our regulators do not start to consider ways to regulate to facilitate reuse and repair. The bigger problem may well be that Australia will lag behind the rest of the world in ensuring the environmental longevity of some goods.
Professor Leanne Wiseman
Dr Kanchana Kariyawasam
Griffith University is a foundation partner of a new and free Queensland centric digital news service due to launch in February 2020.
The partnership with InQueensland will help support new independent journalism endeavours and also provide valuable work-integrated learning opportunities for Griffith’s journalism students.
“InQueensland promises to deliver a free, independent, daily digital news website and email newsletter focusing on politics, business, community, arts and culture,” Professor Martin Betts, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Engagement) said.
“It is pleasing to see a fresh news service launch in this state and it is an initiative which demonstrates confidence in local audiences and a real commitment to the issues that matter to Queenslanders.
“This partnership will build upon Griffith’s strong brand with the business, government and arts communities as well as provide our final-year journalism students with industry experiences including internship opportunities.
“I encourage students, staff and anyone interested in accessing a fresh perspective on local issues to consider subscribing to the free service.”
InQueensland’s editorial team includes some of the country’s most well-known names in journalism, including Sean Parnell, former Australian and Courier-Mail journalist, Queensland political expert Dennis Atkins, Clarion award winner John McCarthy and passionate arts and entertainment writer and editor Brett Debritz.
The foundation partnership will run for twelve months.
