Central Land Council

Aim To compare fire behaviour and fire management practice at a site managed continuously by traditional Aboriginal owners with other sites in tropical northern Australia, including the nearby Kakadu National Park, and relate those observations to indicators of landscape condition. Location Dukaladjarranj, a clan estate in north‐central Arnhem Land, in the seasonal tropics of northern Australia. The site abuts a vast sandstone plateau that is an internationally recognized centre of plant and animal biodiversity. Methods Ecological assessments included: (1) mapping of the resource base of the estate from both traditional and ecological perspectives; (2) aerial survey of the extent of burning, distribution of the fire‐sensitive native pine Callitris intratropica , rock habitats, and a range of macropod and other fauna resources; (3) fauna inventory; (4) detailed ecological assessment of the status of fire‐sensitive vegetation; and (5) empirical assessment of the intensities of experimental fires. Ethnographic information concerning traditional fire management practice was documented in interviews with senior custodians. Results Experimental fires lit during the study were of low intensity compared with late dry season fires reported elsewhere, despite weather conditions favouring rapid combustion. In contrast to other parts of the savanna, fuel loads comprised mostly leaf litter and little grass. We found that (i) a large proportion of the estate had been burned during the year of the study (ii) burned sites attracted important animal food resources such as large macropods (iii) important plant foods remained abundant (iv) well represented in the landscape were fire sensitive vegetation types (e.g. Callitris intratropica Baker & Smith woodlands) and slow growing sandstone ‘heath’ typically dominated by myrtaceaous and proteaceous shrubs (v) diversity of vertebrate fauna was high, including rare or range‐restricted species (vi) exotic plants were all but absent. Traditional practice includes regular, smaller fires, lit throughout the year, and cooperation with neighbouring clans in planning and implementing burning regimes. Main conclusions We attribute the ecological integrity of the site to continued human occupation and maintenance of traditional fire management practice, which suppresses otherwise abundant annual grasses ( Sorghum spp.) and limits accumulation of fuels in perennial grasses ( Triodia spp.) or other litter. Suppression of fuels and coordination of fire use combine to greatly reduce wildfire risk and to produce and maintain diverse habitats. Aboriginal people derive clear economic benefits from this style of management, as evidenced by abundant and diverse animal and plant foods. However, the motives for the Aboriginal management system are complex and include the fulfillment of social and religious needs, a factor that remains important to Aboriginal people despite the rapid and ongoing transformation of their traditional lifestyles. The implication of this study is that the maintenance of the biodiversity of the Arnhem Land plateau requires intensive, skilled management that can be best achieved by developing co‐operative programmes with local indigenous communities.

Nomads in Archaeology addresses the problem of how to study mobile peoples using archaeological techniques. It therefore deals not only with the prehistory and archaeology of nomads but also with current issues in theory and methodology, particularly the concept of 'site structure'. This is the first volume to be devoted exclusively to nomad archaeology. It includes sections on the history and origins of pastoral nomad societies, the economics of pastoralism, social organisation of pastoral communities and the 'visibility threshold' of nomad material culture. Examples and case studies are drawn from field work and published sources primarily in Turkey and Iran.

Incorrect provenance statement: In “Chronic suppurative lung disease and bronchiectasis in children and adults in Australia and New Zealand: Thoracic Society of Australia and NewZealandguidelines” in the 19 January 2015 issue of the Journal (Med J Aust 2015; 202: 21-23), the provenance statement incorrectly stated that the guidelines were not peer reviewed. The guidelines were externally peer reviewed.

Ten years of photo and associated data records from an extensive fire and vegetation effects monitoring programme established in two large north Australian National Parks were used to (1) develop a simple-to-use semiquantitative fire severity index based on observed fire impact on vegetation, particularly leaf-scorch height; and (2) explore relationships between seasonality and fire severity in different landform and vegetation types. Using a three-tiered fire severity scale, data for 719 fires recorded from 178 plots over the period 1995–2004 indicate that the great majority of early dry season (pre-August) fires were of very low severity (fire-line intensities <<1000 kW m–1), whereas fires later in the dry season were typically of substantially greater severity. Similar trends were evident for vegetation occupying all landform types. The utility and limitations of the fire severity index, and implications for ecologic, greenhouse inventory, and remote sensing applications are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Self-collected samples have been shown to be an acceptable and sensitive method for the detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among women. GOAL The goal of the study was to compare self-collected sampling methods to conventional practitioner endocervical sampling for the PCR detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae to compare two self-collected sampling methods for the detection of T vaginalis by PCR. STUDY DESIGN: Women (n = 318) from urban and remote areas of central Australia participated in the study when attending their health clinic for a check-up. They each provided a FVU sample, self-collected vaginal swab specimen, and tampon specimen. This was followed by a clinical examination by a practitioner, with collection of endocervical and high vaginal swabs for testing by conventional microscopy and culture for N gonorrhoeae and T vaginalis, respectively. The FVU, self-collected vaginal swab, tampon, and endocervical swab specimens were tested by Roche Cobas Amplicor for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae. The self-collected vaginal swab and tampon specimens were also tested by an in-house PCR method for the detection of T vaginalis. RESULTS: In toto, C trachomatis was detected by PCR in 11.5%, N gonorrhoeae in 11.8%, and T vaginalis in 24.6%. Molecular diagnostics for N gonorrhoeae and T vaginalis were significantly more sensitive than traditional assays with microscopy and culture. For the detection of C trachomatis by PCR, tampons were the most sensitive (100.0%) and urine the least sensitive (72.7%) specimens ( = 0.01). For the detection of by PCR, the self-collected tampon was the most sensitive specimen, followed by the endocervical swab, self-collected swab, and urine specimen, with sensitivities of 97.2%, 92.6%, 71.9%, and 31.2%, respectively. For detection of N gonorrhoeae, statistically significant differences were detected for urine versus tampon ( < 0.0001), endocervical swab ( < 0.001), and self-collected swab ( = 0.01) and for self-collected swab versus tampon ( = 0.01). Subsequent data collection showed that sensitivity of urine PCR for detection of N gonorrhoeae improved with freezing of urine specimens and shorter transport time. Tampons were also more sensitive than self-collected swabs for detection of T vaginalis (sensitivity of 100% versus 87.7%). CONCLUSION: Self-collected specimens offer women in remote communities an acceptable and sensitive alternative method of testing for STIs. The low sensitivity of N gonorrhoeae PCR of urine specimens may reflect poor transport and storage conditions, which we have shown can be improved by freezing urine specimens and reducing transport delays.

Kangaroos are the world's most diverse group of herbivorous marsupials. Following late-Miocene intensification of aridity and seasonality, they radiated across Australia, becoming the continent's ecological equivalents of the artiodactyl ungulates elsewhere. Their diversity peaked during the Pleistocene, but by approximately 45,000 years ago, 90% of larger kangaroos were extinct, along with a range of other giant species. Resolving whether climate change or human arrival was the principal extinction cause remains highly contentious. Here we combine craniodental morphology, stable-isotopic, and dental microwear data to reveal that the largest-ever kangaroo, Procoptodon goliah, was a chenopod browse specialist, which may have had a preference for Atriplex (saltbushes), one of a few dicots using the C(4) photosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, oxygen isotope signatures of P. goliah tooth enamel show that it drank more in low-rainfall areas than its grazing contemporaries, similar to modern saltbush feeders. Saltbushes and chenopod shrublands in general are poorly flammable, so landscape burning by humans is unlikely to have caused a reduction in fodder driving the species to extinction. Aridity is discounted as a primary cause because P. goliah evolved in response to increased aridity and disappeared during an interval wetter than many it survived earlier. Hunting by humans, who were also bound to water, may have been a more decisive factor in the extinction of this giant marsupial.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of telehealth consultations by telephone and video around the world. While telehealth can improve access to primary health care, there are significant gaps in our understanding about how, when and to what extent telehealth should be used. This paper explores the perspectives of health care staff on the key elements relating to the effective use of telehealth for patients living in remote Australia. METHODS: Between February 2020 and October 2021, interviews and discussion groups were conducted with 248 clinic staff from 20 different remote communities across northern Australia. Interview coding followed an inductive approach. Thematic analysis was used to group codes into common themes. RESULTS: Reduced need to travel for telehealth consultations was perceived to benefit both health providers and patients. Telehealth functioned best when there was a pre-established relationship between the patient and the health care provider and with patients who had good knowledge of their personal health, spoke English and had access to and familiarity with digital technology. On the other hand, telehealth was thought to be resource intensive, increasing remote clinic staff workload as most patients needed clinic staff to facilitate the telehealth session and complete background administrative work to support the consultation and an interpreter for translation services. Clinic staff universally emphasised that telehealth is a useful supplementary tool, and not a stand-alone service model replacing face-to-face interactions. CONCLUSION: Telehealth has the potential to improve access to healthcare in remote areas if complemented with adequate face-to-face services. Careful workforce planning is required while introducing telehealth into clinics that already face high staff shortages. Digital infrastructure with reliable internet connections with sufficient speed and latency need to be available at affordable prices in remote communities to make full use of telehealth consultations. Training and employment of local Aboriginal staff as digital navigators could ensure a culturally safe clinical environment for telehealth consultations and promote the effective use of telehealth services among community members.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a relatively new tool for the detection of rare, threatened and invasive species in water bodies. In this study we investigated the utility of an eDNA approach in detecting the Critically Endangered largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis in freshwater habitats in northern Australia. Water samples were collected from large aquaria mesocosms containing largetooth sawfish and other aquatic species, and floodplain waterholes and the main river channel of the Daly River, Northern Territory. Water samples were filtered using a 20 µm nylon filter. DNA was extracted from filters and analysed with PCR using species-specific mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) primers designed to amplify only largetooth sawfish DNA. PCR products were cleaned and the COI gene sequenced to confirm the species identity. Using 3 aquaria, with one containing a largetooth sawfish, this method positively identified sawfish only in the correct aquarium. In the field water samples, 7 of 8 floodplain waterholes produced a sawfish eDNA PCR product, while eDNA was not detected in the main river channel. Based on gillnet sampling and traditional ecological knowledge, largetooth sawfish were known to occur at half of the waterhole and floodplain sites that tested positive for sawfish eDNA. These results demonstrated that an eDNA approach to detecting largetooth sawfish can produce reliable outcomes and can be used as a survey tool to help with conservation efforts for this and other threatened elasmobranchs.

Fossorialism is a beneficial adaptation for brooding, predator avoidance and protection from extreme climate. The abundance of fossilised burrow casts from the Early Triassic of southern Africa is viewed as a behavioural response by many tetrapods to the harsh conditions following the Permo-Triassic mass-extinction event. However, scarcity of vertebrate remains associated with these burrows leaves many ecological questions unanswered. Synchrotron scanning of a lithified burrow cast from the Early Triassic of the Karoo unveiled a unique mixed-species association: an injured temnospondyl amphibian (Broomistega) that sheltered in a burrow occupied by an aestivating therapsid (Thrinaxodon). The discovery of this rare rhinesuchid represents the first occurrence in the fossil record of a temnospondyl in a burrow. The amphibian skeleton shows signs of a crushing trauma with partially healed fractures on several consecutive ribs. The presence of a relatively large intruder in what is interpreted to be a Thrinaxodon burrow implies that the therapsid tolerated the amphibian's presence. Among possible explanations for such unlikely cohabitation, Thrinaxodon aestivation is most plausible, an interpretation supported by the numerous Thrinaxodon specimens fossilised in curled-up postures. Recent advances in synchrotron imaging have enabled visualization of the contents of burrow casts, thus providing a novel tool to elucidate not only anatomy but also ecology and biology of ancient tetrapods.

Resolving faunal responses to Pleistocene climate change is vital for differentiating human impacts from other drivers of ecological change. While 90% of Australlia's large mammals were extinct by ca. 45 ka, their responses to glacial-interglacial cycling have remained unknown, due to a lack of rigorous biostratigraphic studies and the rarity of terrestrial climatic records that can be related directly to faunal records. We present an analysis of faunal data from the Naracoorte Caves in southeastern Australia, which are unique not only because of the species richness and time-depth of the assemblages that they contain, but also because this faunal record is directly comparable with a 500 k.y. speleothem-based record of local effective moisture. Our data reveal that, despite significant population fluctuations driven by glacial-interglacial cycling, the species composition of the mammal fauna was essentially stable for 500 k.y. before the late Pleistocene extinctions. Larger species declined during a drier interval between 270 and 220 ka, likely reflecting range contractions away from Naracoorte, but they then recovered locally, persisting well into the late Pleistocene. Because the spelleothem record and prior faunal response imply that local conditions should have been favorable for megafauna until at least 30 ka, climate change is unlikely to have been the principal cause of the extinctions.

OBJECTIVE: (NG) infection during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, premature rupture of membranes, perinatal mortality, low birth weight and ophthalmia neonatorum. DATA SOURCES: We searched Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature for studies published between 1948 and 14 January 2020. METHODS: Studies were included if they reported testing for NG during pregnancy and compared pregnancy, perinatal and/or neonatal outcomes between women with and without NG. Two reviewers independently assessed papers for inclusion and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using established checklists for each study design. Summary ORs with 95% CIs were generated using random effects models for both crude and, where available, adjusted associations. RESULTS: We identified 2593 records and included 30 in meta-analyses. Women with NG were more likely to experience preterm birth (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.99, n=18 studies); premature rupture of membranes (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.92, n=9); perinatal mortality (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.46, n=9); low birth weight (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.48, n=8) and ophthalmia neonatorum (OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.36 to 13.04, n=6). Summary adjusted ORs were, for preterm birth 1.90 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.19, n=5) and for low birth weight 1.48 (95% CI 0.79 to 2.77, n=4). In studies with a multivariable analysis, age was the variable most commonly adjusted for. NG was more strongly associated with preterm birth in low-income and middle-income countries (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.48, n=7) than in high-income countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.83, n=11). CONCLUSIONS: NG is associated with a number of adverse pregnancy and newborn outcomes. Further research should be done to determine the role of NG in different perinatal mortality outcomes because interventions that reduce mortality will have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of disease in low-income and middle-income countries. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016050962.

Constrained seriation of a species-locality matrix of the Australian Cenozoic mammal record resolves a preliminary sixfold succession of land mammal ages apparently spanning the late Oligocene to the present. The applied conditions of local chronostratigraphic succession and inferences of relative stage-of-evolution biochronology lead to the expression of a continental geological timescale consisting of, from the base, the Etadunnan, Wipajirian, Camfieldian, Waitean, Tirarian, and Naracoortean land mammal ages. Approximately 99% of the 360 fossil assemblages analyzed are classifiable using this method. Each is characterized by a diagnostic suite of species. An interval of age magnitude may eventually be shown to lie between the Camfieldian and Waitean, but is currently insufficiently represented by fossils to diagnose. Development of a land mammal age framework marks a progressive step in Australian vertebrate biochronology, previously expressed only in terms of local faunas. Overall, however, the record remains poorly calibrated to the Standard Chronostratigraphic Scale. Codifying the empirical record as a land mammal age sequence provides an objective basis for expressing faunal succession without resort to standard chronostratigraphic terms with the attendant (and hitherto commonly taken) risks of miscorrelating poorly dated Australian events to well-dated global events.

We identify four principles that can promote the prospects of health outcomes for desert Aboriginal people from livelihoods engaged with land management. The principles were derived inductively using a grounded theory approach, drawing on primary research that used qualitative and participatory methods, and from relevant literature and theoretical frameworks. International and Australian literature offers evidence that supports desert Aboriginal people’s view that their health depends on their relationship with their land. Engagement with land management can lead desert Aboriginal people to feel that their own actions are consistent with their own sense of the right and proper way for them to behave towards land, family and community. This increased ‘sense of control’ impacts positively on health by moderating the impact of sustained stress from health risk factors in the environment and lifestyle. The four principles focus on underlying characteristics of Aboriginal land management that are important to promoting this increased ‘sense of control’: (1) Aboriginal land management governance recognises and respects Aboriginal custom and tradition, and is adaptive; (2) learning is embraced as a life-long process; (3) relationships are recognised as very important; and (4) partnerships give priority to doing things that all parties agree are important. These principles are presented as hypotheses that warrant further development and testing. While they do not account specifically for the impact of lifestyle and environmental factors on health, we expect that the increased sense of control that desert Aboriginal people are likely to develop when involved in Aboriginal land management that applies these principles will moderate the impact of such factors on their health. The principles offer a starting point for further development of criteria and standards for good practice in Aboriginal land management, potentially including an environmental certification scheme that integrates social and environmental outcomes.

The foraging ecology of endangered olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea sea turtles is poorly known in Australia, with only a limited knowledge of their foraging distribution inferred from captures in trawl net fisheries. We attached satellite transmitters to 8 olive ridley turtles in 2004 and 2005 at a nesting beach in Australia's Northern Territory to document their migratory routes and foraging behaviour. Three turtles moved up to 40 km from the nesting beach before renesting on the same beach within 12 to 23 d. The turtles made post-nesting migrations of 165 to 1050 km to 5 different foraging areas and used coastal, continental shelf and continental slope habitats. The use of one foraging area by 3 turtles, together with previous trawl data, indicate a predictable source of food in this area. Distinct foraging areas indicate that foraging behaviour differs from the meandering oceanic movements of turtles in the Pacific. During migration and foraging periods, turtles dived to the substrate with maximum depths of 150 to 200 m and maximum dive durations of 120 to 180 min. The locations of foraging areas overlapped with existing trawl fisheries and oil and gas exploration and mining.

1 Spelt 'Mere' by Borsboom (1978aBorsboom ( , 1978b)), who also spells Marrangu with one 'r' only.

Le domaine de l'art (visuel, musical, theâtrale, etc.) aborigene connait un developpement culturel florissant. A travers leur production artistique les Aborigenes s'efforcent d'integrer la vision du monde non-aborigene dans leur cosmologie et leur propre vision du monde tout en ayant enormement recours aux technologies japonaises et occidentales : moyens de production video et de transmission, technologies interactives, instruments de musiques electroniques et sound systems abondent dans les communautes aborigenes. La production d'image en est un bon exemple. L'intersubjectivite de la perception aborigene apparait dans les films realises par les Aborigenes dans lesquels se pose le probleme de leur representation face au colonialisme, au racisme et a la definition de l'aboriginalite. Pour analyser les films des Aborigenes sur eux-memes, il faut parvenir a comprendre leur sensibilite, leur theorie culturelle

This position statement, updated from the 2015 guidelines for managing Australian and New Zealand children/adolescents and adults with chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD) and bronchiectasis, resulted from systematic literature searches by a multi-disciplinary team that included consumers. The main statements are: Diagnose CSLD and bronchiectasis early; this requires awareness of bronchiectasis symptoms and its co-existence with other respiratory diseases (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Confirm bronchiectasis with a chest computed-tomography scan, using age-appropriate protocols and criteria in children. Undertake a baseline panel of investigations. Assess baseline severity, and health impact, and develop individualized management plans that include a multi-disciplinary approach and coordinated care between healthcare providers. Employ intensive treatment to improve symptom control, reduce exacerbation frequency, preserve lung function, optimize quality-of-life and enhance survival. In children, treatment also aims to optimize lung growth and, when possible, reverse bronchiectasis. Individualize airway clearance techniques (ACTs) taught by respiratory physiotherapists, encourage regular exercise, optimize nutrition, avoid air pollutants and administer vaccines following national schedules. Treat exacerbations with 14-day antibiotic courses based upon lower airway culture results, local antibiotic susceptibility patterns, clinical severity and patient tolerance. Patients with severe exacerbations and/or not responding to outpatient therapy are hospitalized for further treatments, including intravenous antibiotics and intensive ACTs. Eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa when newly detected in lower airway cultures. Individualize therapy for long-term antibiotics, inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators and mucoactive agents. Ensure ongoing care with 6-monthly monitoring for complications and co-morbidities. Undertake optimal care of under-served peoples, and despite its challenges, delivering best-practice treatment remains the overriding aim.

The growth of the carbon industry in Australia over the last decade has seen an increase in the number of eligible offsets projects utilising the savanna burning methods in northern Australia. Many of these projects are operated by Aboriginal people on Aboriginal lands utilising local Aboriginal knowledge and customary burning practice. The present paper reviews existing land management planning documents to describe the aspirations of Traditional Owners in relation to fire management at a regional scale in Arnhem Land. Available data collected in the course of savanna burning operations are then utilised to examine the extent to which the savanna burning projects are meeting these goals. There were six clear goals in relation to fire management within the planning documents across Arnhem Land. Traditional Owners want to: (1) continue the healthy fire management of their country; (2) see fewer wildfires; (3) protect biodiversity; (4) protect culturally important sites; (5) maintain and transfer knowledge; and (6) create a carbon abatement. The results from this paper suggest that although the savanna burning projects are annually variable, these goals are being met. Importantly, the present paper clearly communicates a description of contemporary fire management from the perspective of Traditional Owners at a broad regional scale.

Indigenous fire management is experiencing a resurgence worldwide. Northern Australia is the world leader in Indigenous savanna burning, delivering social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits. In 2016, a greenhouse gas abatement fire program commenced in the savannas of south-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, managed by the Indigenous Yugul Mangi rangers. We undertook participatory action research and semi-structured interviews with rangers and Elders during 2016 and 2019 to investigate Indigenous knowledge and obtain local feedback about fire management. Results indicated that Indigenous rangers effectively use cross-cultural science (including local and Traditional Ecological Knowledge alongside western science) to manage fire. Fire management is a key driver in the production of bush tucker (wild food) resources and impacts other cultural and ecological values. A need for increased education and awareness about Indigenous burning was consistently emphasized. To address this, the project participants developed the Yugul Mangi Faiya En Sisen Kelenda (Yugul Mangi Fire and Seasons Calendar) that drew on Indigenous knowledge of seasonal biocultural indicators to guide the rangers’ fire management planning. The calendar has potential for application in fire management planning, intergenerational transfer of Indigenous knowledge and locally driven adaptive fire management.

The Petermann Orogeny is a late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian ( c . 560–520 Ma) intracratonic event that affected the Musgrave Block and south‐western Amadeus Basin in central Australia. In the Mann Ranges, within the central Musgrave Block, Mesoproterozoic granulite facies gneisses, granites and mafic dykes have been substantially reworked by deep crustal non‐coaxial strain of late Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian age. Dolerite dykes have recrystallized to garnet granulite facies assemblages, associated with the development of a mylonitic fabric at P =12–13 kbar and T =700–750 °C. Migmatization is restricted to discrete shear zones, which represent conduits for hydrous fluids during metamorphism. Peak metamorphism was followed by decompression to c . 7 kbar, reflecting exhumation of the terrane along the south‐dipping Woodroffe Thrust. In scattered outcrops north of the Mann Ranges, peak metamorphism occurred at P =9–10 kbar and T = c . 700 °C. The Woodroffe Thrust separates these deep crustal mylonites from granites that were metamorphosed during the Petermann Orogeny at P = c . 6–7 kbar and T = c . 650 °C. The similarity in peak temperatures at different crustal levels implies an unusual thermal regime during this event. The existence of a relatively elevated geotherm corresponding with Th‐ and K‐enriched granites that were in the mid‐crust during the Petermann Orogeny suggests that radiogenic heat production may have substantially contributed to the thermal regime during metamorphism. This potentially has implications for the mechanisms by which intra‐plate strain was localized during this event.