6‘Demonstrating active citizenship.’

Geographical issues

[6.1] What role can citizens play in managing waste?

Part 3 Issues in Australian environments

In this chapter you will…

Geographical issues

146

learn about:✪ the geographical issues affecting Australian

environments✪ investigate a geographical issue through fieldwork by

developing and implementing a research action plan.

learn to:✪ describe each geographical issue✪ outline how a range of geographical issues are affecting Australian

environments✪ develop a research action plan, apply fieldwork techniques, present

geographical information and demonstrate active citizenship.

Specific studies of coastal management at Cronulla and Terrigal beaches are discussed in chapter 8.

Land and water management is discussed in chapter 7.

Air quality• How does urban growth

contribute to air quality?

• Can the use of public transport improve air quality?

• What is the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) and how is it helping to manage air pollution in Australia?

Coastal management• How are coasts managed in

Australia?

• What are the impacts of development on beaches?

• What role has the local community played as active citizens in coastal management?

Land and water management• Why are land and water management issues

important for Australia?

• What are the impacts of salinity in the Murray–Darling Basin?

• Can a sustainable water source be secured for Australia’s future?

Geography for Australian Citizens

147

Spatial inequality is examined in chapters 4, 5, 9 and 10.

[6.3] The fastest declining local government areas (LGAs), 1999 and 2004

Fastest declining LGAs

State/Territory

June 1999

(’000)

June 2004

(’000)

Average annual growth

rate (%)

Coolgardie WA 4.7 3.9 – 6.8

Merredin WA 3.8 3.5 – 4.7

Carnarvon WA 6.5 6.3 – 4.1

Katanning WA 4.6 4.2 – 4.1

Narrogin NT 4.7 4.5 – 3.9

Source: ABS, Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand, 3218.0

Urban growth and decline are examined in chapters 4, 5, and 9.

Spatial inequality• Are the poor getting poorer and the rich richer?

• What are the impacts of poverty on future generations?

• Why is it important for the management of inequality to be addressed at the local level?

Urban growth and decline• Why have some urban areas, such as Pyrmont–

Ultimo, undergone such dramatic change?

• How does the process of urban decay impact on the residents of towns such as Newcastle?

• What role have development corporations had in the process of urban renewal?

[6.2] Low-income households in Sydney: households with a gross weekly income of less than 500 dollars, as a percentage of all households

My local area – waste managementSurvey the residents of your suburb to investigate waste management in your local area.1 How much general waste does your household generate each week?

Full bin

Half to full bin

Less than half bin2 Does your household recycle? Yes

No Go to question 4.3 What items do you recycle? Paper and paper products PET bottles

Aluminium cans

Green waste

4 What measures could be taken to improve recycling levels?

Educate residents

Give financial incentives

Charge higher rates for waste collection Nothing

Thank you for your time to complete this survey.

Waste management• Where does our waste go and how much is

generated?

• How is the process of urban growth impacting on waste management?

• What role can active citizens play in managing waste?

6 : Geographical issues

Skills

148 Geography for Australian Citizens

Learning to…1 Individuallyoringroupsselectonegeographicalissuetoinvestigatethroughfieldwork.Inyour

fieldwork:✪ developaresearchactionplaninvestigatingthenature,impactsandresponsestothis

geographicalissue✪ applyfieldworktechniques✪ presentyourfindingsasaPowerPointpresentationincludingmaps,graphsandweblinks✪ proposeoneindividualandonegroupactionthataddressesyourchosenissueto

demonstrateactivecitizenship.

2 UsingthePowerPointpresentationsofyourclassmates,outlinehowarangeofgeographicalissuesareaffectingAustralianenvironments.

Undertaking fieldworkGeography is fieldwork! It is getting out of the classroom and doing work in the field. As Geography students you are required to choose one contemporary geographical issue affecting the Australian environment and develop and implement a research action plan. Refer to the outlines on pages 146–7 for an overview of these issues.

Develop a research action planTo develop a research action plan, take the following steps:

✪ Step 1: Identify the aim or purpose of the investigation.

✪ Step 2: Generate a number of focus questions to be addressed by the investigation.

✪ Step 3: Decide what primary and secondary data is needed to answer the focus questions.

✪ Step 4: Identify the techniques that will be used to collect the data.

✪ Step 5: Collect primary and secondary data.

✪ Step 6: Process and analyse the data.

✪ Step 7: Select presentation methods to communicate the research findings effectively.

✪ Step 8: Propose individual or group action in response to the research findings and, where appropriate, take such action.

Once you have selected the issue and decided on the focus questions, you need to plan how to collect the information in the field. You will need to include a combination of primary and secondary sources of information.

Primary sources are the information that you collect personally [6.4]. They include the information you collect using observations, questionnaires, surveys, photographs, mapping and measuring and recording data. Your investigation should be based on primary sources of information.

Secondary sources present information that someone else has collected and presented. You can use these to supplement your own findings. For example, you may use information provided by government departments, such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Department of Land and Water

primary sourceanyinformationthatis

collectedfirsthand:thatis,collectedbymeansofphotographs,field

sketches,questionnairesandobservations

secondary sourceanyinformationcollected

byothersintheformofarticles,photographs,

mapsandgraphs

1496 : Geographical issues

Conservation, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology or your local council. Information from newspapers, magazines, television documentaries, books and the Internet is also available to you.

Make a list of the sources of information you plan to use. Remember to base your investigation on primary sources and be specific.

Applying fieldwork techniquesThis step involves putting the research plan into action. Go to the library, distribute the surveys, take photos, conduct the interviews and organise relevant newspaper articles. Simply gathering the information is not enough; it is important to draw out what is relevant and to organise it in a coherent manner: that is, process the data.

It is important to realise that not all of the information you planned to collect will be readily available. Some organisations will not return phone calls, send out information or have the information you require. Not everyone will want to complete or return the survey. This is the nature of research. You may have to reconsider your action plan and develop alternative methods to collect the desired information.

[6.4] Undertaking fieldwork

[6.5] This is not fieldwork!

150 Geography for Australian Citizens

Presenting geographical informationThe geographical information you collect may be presented in a number of ways, including as:

✪ a written report

✪ a multimedia presentation, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a specially designed webpage

✪ an oral report.

Whichever format you choose to communicate the research findings it is important to refer to the information that has been collected. Use the tables, graphs, maps, photos and interviews to substantiate your findings. Not only are they relevant, they will also add interest and colour to any presentation.

Demonstrating active citizenshipThis step requires you to put forward suggestions that provide realistic and attainable solutions or strategies that would improve the chosen issue.

To demonstrate active citizenship, do something to address the issue yourself! This will increase other people’s awareness of the issue and perhaps help to implement some of the suggestions you have made to address the issue.

Skills activitiesUse the topographic map on page 184.

1 Identify a geographical issue affecting Australian environments.

2 Develop a research action plan including primary and secondary sources of information for the issue.

3 Propose one individual and one group action to address the issue.

active citizenshipactiveandinformedcitizenshipinvolves

participationincommunityactivities

andpublicaffairs