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RECEIVE 6 SE-1989
O.U.T. liBRARY
Issue No. 47
Queensland University of Technology 2 George Street Brisbane Q. 4000 Telephone (07) 223 2111 Registered by Australia Post- Publication No. QBF 4778
Milk is much-mali ned:
I
nutritionist
The Australian Dairy Research Council has provided $19 000 in 1989-90 for a QUT study to inves- tigate the nutritional value of milk, particularly in providing essential trace elements.
The project will analyse milk samples from throughout Australia, taking into account the source area and the time of year they were collected.
This is because there is evidence that the vitamin and mineral content of milk depends both on soil quality of a par- ticular district and on seasonal condi- tions.
Department of Public Health and Nutrition head, Associate Professor Conor Reilly, an expert on trace ele- ments in foods, said QUT had been studying the nutritional value of milk for some time. Further funding was ex- pected for 1990-91.
He said milk seemed to be a "much- maligned" cw•t4J~--~
I.lttnity C. .. UiiCt!ll t.tbou~ 1tC iaH..:OI •. t.llt l t
milk had apparently been a factor in a decline in consumption by certain groups, like adolescent girls and dieters.
Associate Professor Conor Reilly with a milk sample.
"Milk is well-recognised as a good source of calcium but we now know it is also a surprisingly rich source of es- sential trace elements, especially of zinc and chromium," Professor Reilly said.
"The study is aimed at confirming that milk is an excellent all-round foodstuff."
Professor Reilly will be principal supervisor of the graduate student re- search assistant undertaking the study. There also will be input from his department's senior research fel- low, Dr Carla Patterson whose recent work in community nutrition has looked at the part played by dairy products.
Professor Reilly said about 20 more regions in other states would supply samples for the national study.
Club Med thankyou gift for
business students 'is a beach'
"Life is a beach" for five QUT stu- dents soon to spend a free holiday in the Pacific.
Club Med have given the business students an all expenses paid holiday at their Noumea resort as thanks for some work the students completed as part of a final year marketing research subject.
Jackie Rosier, Angela Taylor and Andrew Tieman will be soaking up the sun during the frrst week of October.
Paul Tyquin and Tony Bill both work full-time and have not yet been able to
arrange a week off.
"The week would normally have cost us $1200 each. The holiday includes all airfares, sport, water activities, food, accommodation -everything except the drinks," said Jackie.
She and Angela backpacked around Europe together last Christmas, but says that does not detract from the ex- citement this time: "I just can't believe we were given this for just talking to 350 people about their perceptions of ClubMed".
The students surveyed people throughout Brisbane and the Gold Coast to determine where South East Queenslanders holiday, how much they are willing to spend and what their per- ceptions are of Club Med holiday makers.
"Some of our findings were very surpristng and we made recommenda- tions based on these findings," Jackie said.
As if exploring the joys of Noumea are not enough, Club Med also paid for the group to stay at the Ramada Gold Coast for the weekend while they sur-
veyed the coast's residents. Business student Andrew Tiernan suns himself in preparation for a trip with two fellow students to Noumea.
31 August 1989
Rumours of a dangerous computer virus on campus are overstated, says computer security technologist, Mr Tony Roggenkamp.
So are fears that the virus could spread off campus because of QUT's high percentage of part-time students who also use business and government computers.
Some parts of the university have taken extraordinary precautions to en- sure the virus does not infect any .flop- py disks or machines.
However, Mr Roggenkamp said the only virus encountered was the same one which a Victorian student was recently charged for placing in southern computers. Rather than booting nor- mally, an infected machine can flash a
"Your PC is stoned" message onto the screen.
ef:t icat~ ron a ,; K me . memory.
"If you find you have booted otT iJ
·stoned" disk then simply remove all disks from the machine and re-boot from an uninfected disk. This process removes the virus from the machine's memory," he said.
"Once the machine is clean again the trick is to ensure that that disk - or any other diseased one- is not used for boot- ing. Removing the virus from a disk is more difficult but can still be achieved."
Mr Roggenkamp said the virus only harmed a disk which already had a capacity number of files or a hard disk formatted with any of the now uncom- mon DOS 2 programs.
"Otherwise, all it does is slow down the computer's functioning," he said.
However, Mr Roggenkamp said that while this virus was not harmful, it served as a warning to adopt safer prac- tices, particularly in Queensland where comprehensive legislation to deal with offenders of computer crimes was not yet in place.
Dean of Law, Associate Professor David Gardiner, said no torts existed which would allow for a victim to sue a computer criminal for damages to files.
"Releasing a computer virus can't be considered a negligent act because it is usually intentional, and it's not an act of trespass -so there appears to be an historical gap in civil law concerning computer crimes," Professor Gardiner said.
Inside
• Adjunct professors in PR, Law ... p2
• Dalby kids plan state helmet campaign ... p3
• First blood spot
machine sold ... p3
• Export market
for lychees ... p4
• Top jobs for
elite graduates ... p4
• Ozone effect
exaggerated ... pS
• Laws to reduce
domestic violence ... p6
'
Vice-Chancellor's comment
Merger talks hot up in Qld
While the merger response to the Federal Government's White Paper has been slower in Queensland than in other states, developments are now happening quickly.
The White Paper on Higher Education encouraged fewer, larger in- stitutions with financial (research) incentives for having more than 8000 equivalent full-time students and financial disincentives for staying below 2000 EFT students.
We are heading towards the North American model of mega-institu- tions and away from the UK model of small universities and colleges.
The government would like to see as few as 35 higher education institu- tions nationally.
In Queensland, the crystal ball suggests three Brisbane-based mega- universities and one middy-university (James Cook). In South East Queensland alone, projections indicate 80 000 EFT students by the year 2000.
At this stage, arrangements are under way for Mount Gravatt cam- pus of BCAE to merge with Griffith University in line with the White Paper's contiguous campuses directive. Darling Downs and Capricor- nia IAEs are becoming university colleges of University of Queensland, and Gatton Agricultural College is merging with that university.
BCAE administration is negotiating with all three Brisbane universities in terms of
a
possible disestablishment of the college and combination with an existing university Gold Coast CAE is having discussions with Griffith.The Queensland Conservatorium of Music is still considering its future.
If OUT and BCAE (minus Mount Gravatt campus) were to join forces, it would be on a true partnership basis, with conditions which were of mutual benefit. As I see it, establishing the new, broadly based univer- sity would require appointment of a single Council and a bipartisan im- plementation committee effective from January 1990.
The Council would have an equal responsibility for all staff of the university, both new and old.
The two institutions would operate in parallel for 12 months before coming together under a well planned program. Internal com- munication would need to be
a
strong element in this process.
If this combined operation does not come to pass, OUT will con- tinue as a specialist university of technology.
Professor Dennis Gibson
University challenge a first for QUT students
QUT students will have their first chance to pit their general knowledge skills against others in the 1989 Univer- sity Challenge series.
The ABC chose twelve universities to represent Australia's academic youth.
The QUT students, Mike Kennedy, Anna Lee, Doug Wait, Dale Rabie and Steve Purtill, come from the business, engineering and information technol- ogy faculties.
Each will be flown to Hobart where
the series will be run for the final ten days of September. Travelling and ac- commodation expenses are being met by the ABC.
More than 30 students competed for the QUT team at sample question trials held by the Student Guild.
The guild president, Ms Tina Lis- sette, said QUT had a "strong team with lots of talent" but refused to commit her- self further.
The students also will look the part with QUT dress.
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S CO,VLD G.IV6 o~ STVDE"-NTS :[b~.1Australia is well equipped to com- pete in international business according to QUT business graduate and director of one of Australia's largest fast food corporations, Mr Kevin Perkins.
He cites the Pacific region of US owned Collins Foods International-the section he directs - as proof.
Collins, who hold the franchise for Kentucky Fried Chicken in Queensland, own the Taco Den chain and either franchise or own Sizzler res- taurants Australia-wide, expect annual sales figures for this year to top $130 million.
Mr Perkins, 37, said one of the most important factors in any company's success was the level of staff en- thusiasm.
"I believe in maintaining a reward system and at Collins, people are paid bonuses based on ability rather than seniority," he said.
Mr Perkins began loading aircraft after he graduated from QIT with a Bachelor of Business (Management) in 1977 to save money for an MBA degree at California State University, Los Angeles.
It was on the completion of this second degree that he was offered a marketing position with Collins Foods.
He then returned to Brisbane, Pacific headquarters of Collins Foods Interna- tional, as their Australian Director of Marketing and Director of Operations, before a stint in Sydney managing the southern Kentucky Fried Chicken stores.
Mr Kevin Perkins
On accepting the Managing Director's position in 1985 he once again made Brisbane his base.
Mr Perkins returns to QUT regularly as a guest speaker in business and marketing.
"QJT equipped me very well for graduate school. I found I could write better than the average American MBA student," he said.
However Mr Perkins does see shortcomings in his education and in the education system in general.
"One of the things I found lacking in my marketing degree was that when I had my first dealings with an advertis- ing firm, I was not academically prepared," he said.
He would I ike to see more economics taught to marketing students: "People don't survive in business without the ability to effectively handle money."
On the education system as a whole, Mr Perkins said it was too narrow with Austral ian students becoming too specialised too early.
The US system, where students com- pleted a multidisciplinary arts-type de- gree before making a career path decision, was one alternative.
Mr Perkins and his wife, Laura, have three young children.
Newly appointed construction management lecturer, Mr Keith Hampson who spenr rwo years on the English Channel tunnel project, a.'l
brought this experience to QUT.
The A$11 billion project involves construction of three tunnels - two to carry traffic and one for central ser- vices. Vehicles will drive onto special electric rail shuttles which will transport them from one terminal to the other. The tunnels also will accom- modate a high speed train service run- ning from London to Paris.
Adjunct professors bring PR, legal expertise
Mr Hampson said the difficulties with the project were not principally with tunnelling methods but involved the logistics of a project that size.QUT faculties have begun a program of inviting leading academics in relevant fields to visit the campus for periods of a few months to share exper- tise with students, staff and the profes- sions locally. Visiting the university now are Professor in Public Relations, Dennis Wilcox and Professor in Law, John Tackaberry.
Metropolitan newspaper circulations may not keep pace with population growth as professions become more specialised, says Adjunct Professor in Public Relations, Dennis Wilcox.
A six month visitor to QUT from San Jose University in the United States, Professor Wilcox believes people hold- ing highly specialised positions will look towards equally specialised media.
"The growth in newspaper circula- tion in the United States, and the same may be true of Australia, is in suburban papers," he said. "Suburban papers are gaining tremendous advertising from local merchants and have adopted new technologies.
"The metropolitan newspapers are bound by trade unions who are refusing to allow them to change to desk-top publishing, for instance. Whereas, many of the small local papers were started by journalist housewives who quickly accepted the benefits of the new technologies."
He likened a newspaper to a cafeteria line where people choose only what they wish to digest.
On PR education, Professor Wilcox said its evolution from an apprentice system to tertiary teaching occurred in three stages. The first had seen cadet public relations officers learning
I
Professor Dennis Wilcox through a tedious process. Then practi- cal courses taught solely by PR profes- sionals were finally replaced with ter- tiary education under the guidance of academics and practising professionals.
Professor Wilcox will be at QUT for the rest of the year. He is head of San Jose University's Department of Jour- nalism and Mass Communication -a course recently named as one of the top four programs in the United States.
He has been awarded the "Educator of the Year" title in the US, been a jour- nalist, edited and written numerous journalism and PR papers and texts and taught at various places, including
"World Campus Afloat", a boat which caters for 500 undergraduate students visiting ports all around the world.
* * *
QUT's second Adjunct Professor in Law for 1989, Londoner, John Tack- aberry, joined the faculty in August for two months.
Page 2 INSIDE OUT, 31 August 1989
He is lecturing masters students in construction law and arbitration-fields which differ little from England to Australia.
As an expert in arbitration, he has worked throughout Europe, the United States, West Indies, Africa and the Mid- dle East.
"Fortunately for me, the history of a building site goes thus: permission to build must be gained and this needs lawyers; construction begins and lawyers are needed to help sort out the consequent rows; after it is built some- thing goes wrong and a fight begins be- tween the engineers, architects, builders, sub-contractors and insurers- all these need lawyers; and then in 15 years time the building collapses and lawyers are needed again," he said.
According to Professor Tackaberry, arbitration is the "private resolution of foul ups".
Professor John Tackaberry
Apart from his private practice in London, he also sits as a mini-judgette in Cornwall.
"The Cornish are a law unto themsel- ves and some of the cases are either pathetic or funny. They believe in never letting a good feud die," he said.
In addition to his channel tunnel ex- perience gained while a Confederation of British Industry Overseas Scholar, Mr Hampson has worked with the Brisbane City Council, in Mt lsa and with the Port of Brisbane Authority for 13 years.
Letters to the editor
Law at Bond
Readers may interested to know that there is a life after OUT, and that I am happy at Bond University.
Although there is a number of dif- ferences between Bond Law School and OUT's, there are also many similarities which have made it easy for me to fit into Bond. For example, the emphasis on teaching and the links with the practis- ing profession at both places.
I have been teaching a number of small groups (called Quintets because each comprises five students) in Intro- duction to Law and believe that the Quin- tets system is very valuable.
Each quintet meets for one hour a week when such things as court hierar- chies, precedent, statutory interpreta- tion, how to make notes and study, methods of teaching law and the objec- tives of lectures are discussed.
The initial intake for the LLB course was 107 students, and 15 enrolled in the LLM by coursework or the PhD by thesis.
The next intake of students will be in mid- September and thereafter there will be three intakes a year -in January, May and September.
The academic year at Bond is divided into three fourteen-week terms, each with twelve weeks of classes, a one- week swat-vac and a one-week ex- amination period. Students may study for two terms each year and take the third term off. On the other hand, they can study for all three terms to complete
the ordinary four-year LLB program in two and two-third years. An ordinary five- year combined degree can be com- pleted in three and one-third years.
The LLM by coursework at Bond in- cludes eight one-term subjects or six subjects and a minor thesis. Some years ago at OUT we discussed the introduc- tion of a small number of postgraduate diploma courses and Bond proposes to offer such courses, each comprising four one-term subjects.
Professor Tom Cain Former Dean of Law at QUT
Praise for recycling
In relation to your Month by Month column in the July issue of "Inside OUT", three cheers for the Accountancy Department for their initiative in conserv- ing and recycling paper. I believe recy- cling paper is a positive step toward con- serving energy. If only other departments would see the light and fol- low their lead.
But, going further than just collecting paper for recycling, when will main store begin buying recycled writing paper which has become available from some manufacturers? When will the cleaning section be introducing unbleached lavatory paper? Will Building and Grounds be setting up a compost heap on campus?
D Flint
Physics Department
Dalby kids plan state bike helmet campaign
A QUT backed study is underway to convince school children to wear helmets when riding bicycles.
The Dalby Accident Committee, formed by the State Health Department's "Health 2000" disease prevention program and under guidance of QUT communication lec- turer, Mr Tony Stevenson, is examining strategies to convince Dalby children to wear helmets.
The recommendations it is likely to adopt will come from the district's school goers.
Mr Stevenson said: "Other cam- paigns organised by teachers and parents have not worked because the children don't want people in authority telling them what to do."
He organised for children from eight district primary and secondary schools to group together to develop a cam-
paign. A resident, parent and social worker, Mrs Anne McCutheon is work- ing alongside the children.
"Her task is to collate research and offer advice but the children are designing the campaign," Mr Steven- son said.
He emphasised the importance of having a local resident working with the group to "avoid people thinking we've come in from the big smoke to tell the community what they should be doing".
Existing research on the correlation between serious injury and failure to wear bicycle helmets is being used as a basis for the safety program. However the manner chosen by the children to convey the message has been left en- tirely to their judgement.
Preliminary research by fellow communication lecturer, Ms Pam Byde, showed that 77 percent of children in Dalby and surrounds never wore helmets because they were seen to be cumbersome and un- fashionable.
Once the campaign has been adopted by the Dalby Accident Committee, Ms Byde will survey the area's children to determine any changes in riding be- haviour and safety attitudes.
Mr Stevenson said that if the cam- paign was successful its adoption would be considered for a statewide government sponsored bicycle safety program. A middle sized community isolated from the metropolitan media with a high percentage of children who rode bikes, Dalby was an excellent place to develop the program.
The research is being supported by the Queensland Department of Health and the Federal Office of Road Safety.
Communication principal lecturer Mr Tony Stevenson, practises what he preaches.
First blood spot
• •
QUT has sold its first Blood Spot Distributor, a machine which helps test new-born babies' blood for early diag- nosis of disorders.
A NSW hospital bought the $25 000 machine, marketed by Q Search, QUT's commercial arm.
Q Search spokesman, Mr Cec Mad- dox, said the machine catered to a very specialist market and only three or four more would probably be sold in Australia. However, negotiations were continuing to increase the manufactur- ing licence and world-wide distribu- tion.
The Queensland health department described the only previously available
machine for blood sample preparation as unsatisfactory.
The new machine, developed by QUT engineersDrDavidNuskeandMr John Ed- wards with Health Department scientist Mr Frank Bowling, automatically distributes blood samples onto test trays. Information
~ on the donor is logged into the computer data base and assigned a code number.
The Blood Spot Distributor speeds the procedure for mandatory blood test- ing for more than 20 disorders. It relieves laboratory staff of repetitive sample preparation and reduces the risk of sample loss and mixing.
Mr Maddox believes the machine will be a leader in its field for another five years.
Researchers perfect technique for disease resistant tomatoes
QUT, with support from the Depart- ment of Primary Industries, is developing a technique for quick identification of in- bred tomato varieties with the aim of im- proving disease resistance and boosting production of new hybrid varieties.
To grow new tomato cultivars (varieties produced only under cultiva-
tion), researchers need a method to dis- tinguish between seeds which are dis- ease resistant and those which are not.
This can be done using a process called gel electrophoresis: a simple and fast way of separating proteins in tissue samples which provides information on genetic differences between individual cultivars.
The work at QUT is being under- taken by biology lecturer, Dr Peter Mather, with the help of biology stu- dent, Mark Neilson who is carrying out the electrophoresis as part of his third year project.
According to Dr Mather, the tomato industry in Queensland is worth $120 million a year. Yet very little independent research has been undertaken in this important horticul- tural industry.
"Our research has the potential to give the industry a method of selecting strains for hybrids to increase produc- tion of tomatoes," he said.
"Certain I ines are better adapted to certain climates. Once hybrids are produced, quality control tests can be done to ensure purity of the strain."
DPI is providing seed material, and information on breeding history and disease resistance of the strains.
Similar research has been carried out on broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, com, onions, and some grain crops including sunflower and sorghum, in conjunction with Griffith University.
QUT and DPI are applying for joint funding for the tomatoes project.
Month by month
QUT senior lecturer in law, Mr Bob Sibley, has taken six months PEP leave to work with Doug Drummond QC, the special prosecutor appointed to carry out prosecutions arising from the Fitzgerald En- quiry.
* * *
A final year electrical and electronic systems engineering project is being supported by Texas Instruments Australia. The digital signal processing project, a speech compression system, reduces the digital memory required to record speech.
Texas Instruments has given $20 000 support to QUT student
design projects over the last three years. The Australia-wide grants are made annually.
* * *
QUT
mathematician, Dr Andrew Wolanowski, has had his expertise
recognised internationally.Americans, West Germans, French, English and even a Panama City resident have ordered copies of Dr Wolanowski's second book,
"Introductory statistical
computing -Managing a file system".
Q Search has had this book, and another of his books
"Learningprobabilities through exercises" published, printed here on campus.
* * *
Head of Public Health and Nutrition, Associate Professor Con or Reilly, wants to know "Have you got what it takes?"
According to Professor Reilly and other organising members
of a three day "Balance of Power" workshop, we all need to strike a balance between physical fitness, nutrition, business skills and personal development.
The Kooralbyn Lodge workshop will concentrate on the four mentioned areas. The cost will be $1380.
* * *
It pays to advertise in "Inside QUT". Last issue's classifieds for herbs and honey resulted in sales of more than 30 kilograms of honey and a roaring trade in herbs.
* * *
QTAC Deputy Director, Mr Peter Kruger, phoned QUT Public Af- fairs to comment on the university's annual report. A typical Kruger character, he said he couldn't find one mistake.
Planner gives school students 'progress' talk
Planning lecturer and geographer, Dr Brian Hudson, chose Wickham Terrace's historic land mark, the Windmill, to introduce Brisbane's changing face to 90 high school stu- dents.
Dr Hudson talked to the Corlnda High geography students on the redevelopment of the Roma Street site.
the altering facade of Queen Street Mall buildings and how the wharves have
been torn down to make way for people places, such as the Riverside Centre.
As part of an extensive exercise to map inner-city development, the stu- dents were asked to report on the facilities, aesthetics and problems of the area.
Dr Hudson said such exercises en- couraged the students to think about the consequences of insufficient planning, and to consider careers in planning.
Dr Brian Hudson at Brisbane's historic windmill, where his talk to students
began.INSIDE QUT, 31 August 1989 Page 3
QUT test tube lychees to boost export market
Dr Kant Kantharajah gathers lychees for testing.
The traditionally Asian lychee could give Australia's export earn- ings an annual $40 million boost thanks to a joint QUT and CSIRO ef- fort.
Researchers are involved in a cross breeding program to develop several varieties of marketable hybrid lychee.
QUT researchers, Dr Bill Dodd and Dr Kant Kantharajah of the Biology Department, said most existing com- mercial plantings comprised varieties unsuitable for the export market.
They say lychees can be produced here when the Chinese and other Asian neighbours cannot due to opposite seasons. If Australia is to enter this profitable market, new lychee varieties are required.
In lychee, cross breeding usually results in abortion of the embryo and therefore loss of the potential plant. But researchers can rescue embryos using tissue culture. Cross breeding is carried out in the field and young embryos transplanted to test tubes.
When the embryos develop as small plants, they are transferred to a CSIRO greenhouse and later planted in fields to grow fruit.
The first crop, expected in the early 1990s, will be tested in a variety of en- vironments to determine in which con- ditions it flourishes.
The research, initiated last year, is backed by a $10 000 QUT/CSIRO col- laborative funding grant for 1989/9().
Electronic 'ear muffs' win graduate Jeanswest Award
Recent QUT graduate, Stephen Grady, won a 1989 Jeanswest Young Achiever Award for his design of electronic ear muffs.
Stephen won the technology and science category from more than 200 state-wide nominations and three finalists. He received a trophy plus a
$2000 savings account with the Bank of Queensland.
The ear muffs are designed to can- cel repetitive noise e!ectronically, still enabling the worker to carry on a con- versation, hear the telephone, fire alarms or warning bells.
Stephen designed the device as part of his Graduate Diploma in Industrial Design. He graduated in April this year and also holds a Bachelor of Ap- plied Science - Built Environment fromQUT.
He was presented with the Young Achiever Award at the Hilton Interna- tional Brisbane on 8 August.
The awards acknowledge out- standing contributions of young people under 26 years of age.
QUT biology student, Desley Whisson, also was a finalist in the awards for her research on rat popula- tion control in sugar cane fields.
Stephen Grady with his young achiever award.
Top job offers for elite graduates
The first graduates of QUT's five- year combined electronic engineer- ing/computing degree are set to tackle industry after remarkable suc- cess during their course.
The students are high achievers, most entering with 990 TE scores. Due to complete the course at the end of this year, some have good job offers already.
The 13 males and three females enjoy the rare privilege of never having failed an engineering or computing subject, and about II of the 16 students should receive honours.
Head of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering, Professor Miles Moody, said that although other univer- sities offered a double degree in this field, QUT's was the first to combine engineering and computing throughout
the entire five years. Graduates were truly eligible for membership of the In- stitution of Engineers and the Australian Computer Society.
"These are the cream of our graduates, articulate in computing and electronic engineering, with an under- standing of the whole hardware and software design picture," Professor Moody said.
Some students have already begun to receive job offers from large firms, while others are being interviewed by DEC, Telecom, the Main Road Depart- ment and a defence organisation.
Most of the students consider themsel- ves to be engineers first, and computer scientists second but do not dismiss the possibility or prospects of working in the information technology industry.
Page 4 INSIDE OUT, 31 August 1989
A couple specifically took the course to increase their chances of working overseas immediately after graduation, but are still awaiting the right offer.
So why did these students not do medicine? Student and amateur co- median, Peter Dalton, explained: "We are the thinking 990s. We didn't choose medicine or law just because we would have been accepted - we really wanted to be computer en- gineers."
A tremendous team spirit has evolved over the last five years: they play touch football together (even the females) and are proud to tell of a fairy- tale romance which ended with two classmates, Mark and Patricia Sheldon, marrying last December.
.
,, 'Banana fungus to be genetically identified
A fungal disease which could prove disastrous to Australia's multi-million dollar banana industry is the subject of QUT Centre for Molecular Biology re- search.
Fusarium wilt, a fungal disease which kills bananas, first struck in South America. A continent heavily dependant on the crop, the resultant banana famine caused severe hardship.
Biotechnologist and QUT banana expert, Associate Professor James Dale, said the strain (or race) of the disease which appeared in South America was one of four which had emerged. Races two and three had had little impact.
However, about 10 years ago a race four appeared. Unlike the others, it killed not only lady finger bananas but also cavendish.
Professor Dale said biotechnologists were bafned by race four's appearance at the same time in Taiwan, South Africa, Australia and the Philippines.
"What makes diagnosing this disease difficult is that race one and four are morphologically identical," he said.
Diagnosis at the moment relies on isolating the fungus and then perform-
ing tests, called pathogenicity tests, which determine the origin, process and course of the disease.
"What we aim to do instead is produce a genetically engineered DNA probe which differentiates between the races," Professor Dale said.
In their search to produce the probe, Professor Dale and honors students Tom Bums and Michael Ferguson are using two revolutionary techniques.
"Pulse field electrophoresis" is where a whole chromosome is separated from others in order to detect genetic differences in the chromosome more easily, and "polymerase chain reaction" looks at speci fie genes rather than chromosomes and amplifies them by up to a million fold.
These techniques will simplify the study of how the molecular genetics of race one differ structurally from that of race four.
The research is supported by an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research grant.
NOTE: "Inside QUT" last month featured research aimed at eliminat- ing bunchy top disease in bananas.
Original QI T Chai rman revisits QUT campus
Australia needs some universities which are independent from govern- ment finance and, consequently, politi- cal interference, says foundation chair- man of "QIT" Council ( 1971-73), Brigadier Jack Amies.
He said this ideal could only be achieved by a private institution.
Brigadier Amies, who returned recently to QUT campus for the first time in 16 years, said that although Australia was one of the world's largest countries in size, the population was not sufficient to allow development to the nation's potential.
"Within a few hours flight from Dar- win is half the world's population. Fee paying Asian students are needed to help develop private universities," he said.
h ri adi r, a iever in th power of excellence, became QIT foun- dation chairman of council after being approached by the then state Education Minister, Alan Fletcher.
While QIT began in 1965 under the Education Department, it was not until 1971 that it had its own council and a degree of autonomy under the Educa- tion Act. (QUT now has its own Act with wide powers as a university.)
Jack Amies' military record in the Battle of Britain, the Middle East and New Guinea during the Second World War, his directorship of more than 10 companies and his membership on the University of Queensland's commerce board sold his abilities to Fletcher.
Brigadier Amies accepted the posi- tion on the undertaking that the govern- ment would not interfere politically with administrative matters or policies.
"I wanted to retain control of the formation of QIT to ensure nothing
occurred which was in contradiction to the best interests of the institution,"
he said.
In his two years as chairman he in- troduced a scheme whereby academic staff were asked to secure external employment for three weeks of every year to keep in touch with professional practices. This was the birth of QUT's promise to produce graduates with practical experience.
It was this commitment to build an institution of excellence untouched by political interference which final- ly led Brigadier Amies to resign in protest.
Unknown to him, his connection with QUT did not end then. The present Chancellor's wife, Mrs Joan Pullar (nee
Amie~). found after recording her liuni
ly tree that he and the rig ier second cousins.
Brigadier Jack Amies
Eng. program aims for quality teaching
QUT's Engineering Faculty has begun staged introduction of its own program to ensure teaching quality.
The Department of Employment, Education and Training recently an- nounced that teaching quality would be one criterion used in deciding funding allocations to institutions.
In a paper outlining the faculty's teaching quality program, Dean, Professor John Corderoy, says the program is consistent with faculty policy that engineering educators should not only be good teachers but should also be seen to be so.
The program addresses curriculum, teaching effectiveness, course and stu- dent subject performance. It is con- cerned with detecting and correcting problems at the source.
Professor Corderoy says the aim is
"to measure relative (rather than ab- solute) improvement in teaching effec- tiveness and to draw the lecturer's at- tention to problem areas".
Beginning this semester, lecturers select two classes where both their stu- dents and two peers evaluate the lecturer's performance and complete a questionnaire. If both groups indicate there is a problem then the lecturer con- cerned must draw up a combat plan. The questionnaires are processed inde- pendently by Academic Staff Develop- ment Section (ASDS).
Improvement techniques include counselling or ASDS seminars.
The paper says "promotion criteria must reflect the emphasis that a facul- ty places on teaching". For this reason, accelerated promotion within the faculty is offered to lecturers who score a rating of four from five on the student and peer assessment ques- tionnaire.
All staff will have undergone an as- sessment by the end of this year, while other sections of the program will be implemented over the next few years.
Developers sidestep local government
procedures: planner
The right to control potentially devastating coastal development is being increasingly removed from local authorities by a pro-development State Government, according to a QUT plan- ner.
Head of Planning and Landscape Ar- chitecture, Associate Professor Phil Heywood, said the correct procedure for coastal proposals was to approach the local city or shire authority but developers were sidestepping them in a rush to gain initial State Government support.
He said after gaining this support the developers then approached the local media complaining that million dollar developments were being held up by the shire authority.
The Queensland Conservation Council estimates that there are more than 250 coastal development proposals now being considered in Queensland.
"Coastal development is going ahead at a tremendous rate and developers are acting in a kind of frenzy, something akin to sharks feeding in bloody water,"
Professor Heywood said.
"The Queensland Government recently released a paper on coastal is- sues which is equivocal. On one hand they are saying there must be better co- ordination to protect Queen.;land from harmful consequences of proposed developments, then on the other hand the conclusions consist mainly of proposals to speed up processing of the large number of expected applications."
He said tourist complexes often had a detrimental effect on the local com- munity. While tourism was importantto Queensland's economy, creating employment, things were not always as they seemed.
"Many of these tourism complexes are developed by large, often interna- tional, companies. This means the profits are not circulated through the local community," Professor Heywood said.
"Some luxury complexes are self contained, excluding participation from or contact with the local com- munity -often denying locals access to scenic areas, exclusive beaches or areas of childhood importance.
"Another fear is that the large num- ber of proposals will flood the market, forcing short term ·real estate values
down, while destroying long term resources."
According to Professor Heywood, Noosa North Shore development may be one such scheme.
"This precious wetlands area, now approved for a 950 unit development, lies adjacent to the Cooloola National Park. Until now this area has been buf- fered by the Noosa River to the south,"
he said.
"The local council fought the developer on a previous occasion to stop a much larger scheme and won.
However, faced with finding sufficient resources to continue legal combat, the council on this occasion agreed to the proposal, conditionally.
"One condition was that there should not be a new airport on the edge of the Cooloola National Park bird sanctuary.
The developer is now appealing to the Local Government Court saying this is an unreasonable interference with the commercial operations with the proposed resort."
Professor Heywood consulted on another giant Queensland development now before the local government courts, concluding it would be foolhar- dy to go ahead: Magnetic Quays, proposed for Townsville's Magnetic Is- land, would cater for thousands of luxury-seeking tourists. Self-con- tained, the resort would cut public ac- cess to the island's most popular beach and involve major re-shaping of the ex- isting coastline. The scheme would replace a secure local clientele by high- ly speculative interstate or internation- al ones.
"Tourism should avoid exhausting or destroying the resources which allowed it to develop," his report says. "It is a strong likelihood that in seeking to cater for an uncertain future market of inter- national luxury visitors, it would damage the irreplaceable environmen- tal resources necessary for the island's longer term future."
Professor Heywood said a major deficiency existed in Queensland for negotiation between local communities and developers. In other states parties were obliged to enter into out of court negotiations to attempt to resolve a dis- pute. No such process existed in Queensland and individuals or local councils had to "put up and pay up" in court if they wish to mount a challenge.
Ozon e deplet ion effect on marine I ife is exaggerated
A QUT plant biochemist and en- vironmental expert believes the measures being taken to halt ozone depletion are working.
Biology lecturer, Dr Grahame Kelly, says public pressure has forced policy makers to introduce measures to com- bat ozone depletion. As long as these
Dr Grahame Kelly
... But greenhouse poses major threat to industry
Plant biologist, Dr Grahame Kelly, says that although ozone depletion may not be a major problem in the future, the
greenhouse effect still poses a severe threat.
measures are adhered to and extended, then the problem will eventually rectify itself, he believes.
While in Germany last month Dr Kelly met with a parliamentary mem- ber of the German Green Party, Dr Knabe, who sat on the German Inquiry Commission on Protection of the At- mosphere. The inquiry has recom- mended changes to legislation to guard against further damage to the environ- ment.
Dr Knabe supports a popular belief that if the ozone layer is reduced, allow- ing more UV light to penetrate the ocean's surface, phytoplankton, par- ticularly in the Antarctic seas, will be wiped out. This would ruin vital food chains and cause the extinction of marine animals.
However, Dr Kelly said the situation was not nearly that drastic.
It was true that phytoplankton lack- ed a major defence which most plants had to normal amounts of UY light - even under normal conditions surface water phytoplankton were damaged. If the ozone layer depleted further, it fol- lowed UY light would filter to greater depths and greater numbers of phytoplankton would die.
"But Phytoplankton can be found at differing depths of the ocean. So only the plants in the upper layers of the sea will die and the rest will survive," he said.
Dr Kelly said Taswegians and Mel- boumians hid from the sun a couple of years ago when the ozone layer over southern Australia was found to be thin- ner than usual.
"During spring the air over the An- tarctic acts like a vortex. When the vor- tex breaks up it spreads a thinner than usual ozone layer around the world. The southern part of Australia is the first land reached by the spreading air," he said.
"The irony is that although the south was experiencing a higher than normal degree of UY light, a cooler climate usually has a higher ozone concentra- tion than hotter regions.
Campus has changed since
Central Technical College days
Dr Kelly said that if theories suggest- ing fossil fuels as the major cause of the greenhouse effect were correct then Australia had a major technical headache.
"The way to reverse the situation would be to greatly reduce using fos- sil fuels. Without an alternative this would bring Australian industry, and thus society, to a low level of activity equivalent to that of Bolivia's," he said.
"The thinner ozone layer over Mel- bourne at that time was probably equal to the normal concentration over Bris- bane. So some of these people came up to the Gold Coast and roasted their scan- tily clad bodies in the same UV inten- sity as they were hiding from in the south," he said.
Dr Kelly said the threat to the ozone was very real but it could be controlled.
"The thinning of the ozone layer in the stratosphere is directly associated with the use of Chlorofluorocarbons.
Now that CFC use is being restricted and alternatives are being developed, the ozone could thicken again," he said.
Imagine buying a loaf of bread from QUT's child minding centre, or paint- ing a nude portrait on the site of what now is the Business Building, or having a game of billiards in Old Government House.
It sounds like fiction but earlier visitors to the campus site actually did these things.
Here are a few interesting "titbits" of information to impress colleagues at inter university gatherings or dinner parties for the strictly intellectual.
• The building which now houses the child minding centre was used in the mid I 960s as the Central Technical College (CTC) bakery.
Mrs Kath Reed (nee O'Sullivan), QUT telephonist and one of the university's longest serving employees, remembers buying
steaming fresh bread for 10 cents a loaf and "the occasional" delicious little morsel for morning tea.
• A 1927 newspaper advertisement for the then CTC states: the services of a model are required for the art branch. What the advertisement failed to reveal was that, in order to keep abreast of bohemian practices, the school required the services of a nude model.
• Along with its croquette lawns, ten- nis courts and market gardens, the Governor's residence also had a bil- liard room at the rear. This is now the university Health Service.
• The nurses of today and the sheep of yesteryear called the same building ''home".
"G" Block was the CTC's wool block, later housing the sheet metal
Old Government House in bygone days.
administration, and QIT's first library before the science faculty and nursing school took over.
• A memo dated April 1919 stated that a part-time CTC teacher be paid no mote than two pounds a month.
When the Technical School opened three years later, the annual fee for the year was more than 12 pounds.
• When QIT began in 1965 there was only one full-time student for every 10 part-time students. There were about 2000 students in all. Now, full- time students slightly outnumber part-time students and the total is II 000.
• In desperation to accommodate swelling student numbers, the naval buildings at the base of Kangaroo Point cliffs were looked upon with eager eyes some years ago.
Another site mooted to cater for the expansion, at least in part, was Logan City and about five years ago, Kangaroo Point dockyards.
• Longer serving employees reminisce about the old Christmas spirit of giving and receiving.
Kath Reed remembers the gamut of student works which were given away every Christmas: paintings (nudes, no doubt), pottery and gar- den ornaments from the sheet metal school.
• Those who dared brave student taste in 1960s hairstyles could have free cuts and stylings.
• A 1967 telephone directory lists 12 administration and executive staff forQUT.
He said that while Australia was moving towards making policies to limit the greenhouse effect, he doubted whether they would be sufficient.
"The greenhouse effect is still a hypothesis and, without proof, politicians and scientists can only at- tempt so much," he said.
"We can thank the Lord that the hole in the Antarctic's ozone layer ap- peared, because without its ap- pearance there would have been no proof that CFC's were damaging the atmosphere.
"Without proof, politicians couldn't lobby for legislative change."
Students suggest plan gui e ines or ribie
A recent student project has delved into the future of one of Brisbane resi- dents much loved picnic locations - Bribie Island.
The postgraduate regional and urban planning study grew out of resident protests over a proposed 12 storey hotel and unit complex on the south east of the island.
Four student groups designed alter- native plans and the best features of each were incorporated into a final plan.
Head of Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, Associate Professor Heywood, said the end result, a modest and well developed strategy, suggested large scale development was not required before the year 2006. By that time the island's population should be approaching three times the present figure of 6000.
The plan suggests all buildings be
restricted in height to the treeline -ap- proximately I 0 metres and that Pumicestone Passage retain its recrea- tional appeal and avoid intensive development. Environmental parks with agreed public access are proposed for many inland sections.
The project directors were Mr Terry Scanlan and Ms Janelle Brown. Mr Scanlan said: "The students were operating under severe constraints be- cause some vital information was with- held by government bodies as being confidential."
He said the group, consisting of stu- dents with a wide range of first degrees including environmental science and built environment, made "a melting pot of mixed ideas".
Mr Scanlan said widespread requests for copies of the plan by local groups was an indication of acceptance by the community.
INSIDE QUT, 31 August Page 5
QUT to compete in Oxford-
Cambridge rowing equivalent
Brisbane's inaugural equivalent to the Oxford - Cambridge University rowing marathon should draw lots of onlookers to the Brisbane riverbank on
16 September.
The Universities Boat Race, among QUT, University of Queensland and Griffith University, will be a six kilometre pub to pub haul (not crawl).
Starting from the Regatta Hotel at 1.30 pm and fmishing at Waterfront Place (City Rowers pub), the winning eight will cover the distance in about 17 minutes.
A "second eights" race will be held prior to this one.
A carnival atmosphere will be created at the finishing line with live bands, street entertainment, food out- lets and paraflying rides.
The races are official Warana Fes- tival activities and form part of the Blue Skies weekend of sporting celebration.
QUT gym Manager, Mr Cameron Prout, has been coaching the QUT crews. His schedule has seen crew members competing in pre-race 10 kilometre duels with University of Queensland, training six mornings a week and individual gym, weights, run- ning and cycling sessions.
But then rowing infants his crew are not. All except one has represented Queensland and two have rowed for Australia.
He admits QUT was disadvantaged when the challenge was originally ac- cepted because the m1iversity does not have a rowing club. Griffith is in the same boat.
Through the efforts of a couple of Churchieold boys, the schoollentQUT two rowing boats.
Prout assures QUT supporters that his crew will be victorious. Or if not, at least they will be the fashion kings in their one piece navy blue lycra body suits!
OUT rowers brave the chilly morning to train. (Courtesy of the OUT Stu- dent Guild.)
Top opportunities for Australia in EFT and betting networks
QUT's information technology Dean believes Australia could take a lead in designing and exporting electronic funds transfer (EFT) net- works, including on-line betting sys- tems.
Professor Dennis Longley returned recently from professional experience leave in Hong Kong where he studied data security aspects in financial and commercial sectors.
Of particular interest was a complex on-line wagering system developed by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club which is about to be linked into the banking network.
Professor Longley said there was world-wide interest in large, on-line wagering systems and Australia already had a lead in EFf networks.
The Australian standard for security in such networks was used in Hong Kong and a Queensland firm, Eracom Pty Ltd was already supplying cryp- tographic equipment to the Jockey Club and banks there.
"Data security is one of the most im- portant issues in the design of massive networks carrying such financial trans- actions. The faculty's Information Security Research Centre could play a major role in development of these net- works," he said.
The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club
operates a massive on-line system with terminals in two racecourses and a large number of RHKJC branches.
It is the only legal form of gambling averaging $A I 0 mill ion a race on bets.
Many clients have telephone ac- counts and, in order to overcome overloading of telephone exchanges minutes before the race starts, the club lends a small, hand-held ter- minal.
This enables bets to be entered, using a PIN, by connecting the terminal into a telephone jack. The bet is automati- cally downloaded into the club com- puter.
The touch-screen terminal with LCD display can be operated from anywhere in Hong Kong, or from overseas.
"This is an exciting development in its own right because a similar terminal could be used for home banking and home shopping," Professor Longley said. "Many of the consumer benefits of information technology have been inhibited by the lack of a cheap, friend- ly, robust user terminal.
"The Jockey Club computer will shortly be linked directly into the bank- ing network so that clients can use their terminals to access bank accounts, check balances, transfer money from bank to the club and, sometimes, in the other direction."
'Working the System' is a one-week sell out
by Liz Rivers
Every respectable book reviewer or political commentator worth their weight in Kingaroy peanuts has analysed Professor Peter Coaldrake's new book, "Working the System".
However, one aspect left un- touched- until now- is the collection of interesting photographs and car- toons which decorate the centre pages.
One photo shows the then Labour Premier, Ned Hanlon, back in 1949, wearing a fashionable outfit, beauti- ful shoes, but no socks!
A collage of the three present Queensland political leaders, Ahem, Goss and Innes, adorns another page.
Only one, Angus Innes, is smiling.
Needless to say, there is a variety of photographs and cartoonists' im- pressions of Sir Joh. In one Sir Joh is flanked by his ministers in order of seniority, a tradition Professor Coaldrake says concentrates discus- sion at one end of the table and reminds junior ministers of their posi- tion.
Through the written pages the state of Queensland politics over the last 20 years unfold. Professor Coaldrake does not pay out on the Nationals, but insists that all parties were to blame.
The book is the culmination of dozens of interviews with Cabinet Min- isters, senior public service figures and political party card carriers.
In the final chapter, Coaldrake says: "Corruption was vital to the operation of politics and policy- making in the state" and that there
"will be institutional resistance to the implications of reforms".
But he now concedes there are some encouraging signs.
"Working the System" was launched the day after corruption charges began to be laid. The first 5000 print run sold out in a week.
Former Queensland Police Com- missioner, Mr Ray Whitrod, launched the book on 11 August on the site of the former Bellevue Hotel, demolished in the 1970s amid public outcry.
Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor Peter Goa/drake, with a copy of his successful book.
Bridge expert speaks at QUT conference
Mr Baidar Bakht (left), principal researcher at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, talked with OUT engineer Mr Rob Heywood about the design of Brisbane's Captain Cook Bridge. Mr Bakht was in Australia as keynote speaker at a OUT 'Design, evaluation and maintenance of bridges' two-day conference. Mr Heywood said the Ontario Ministry of Transporta- tion had written the finest bridge design codes - significant in that the Australian code was presently being re-written.
New legislation should
reduce domestic violence
Page 6 INSIDE OUT, 31 August 1989
New Queensland legislation could reduce the incidence of domestic violence, says a QUT law lecturer.
Mrs Gay Clarke was a member of the task force which recommended the in- troduction of the Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Act.
"US studies have shown that tell- ing offenders - usually males - that they have committed a criminal of- fense has a deterrent effect," Mrs Clarke said.
Up until the Act's introduction the only course for victims of domestic violence in Queensland was to have their spouse or de facto criminally charged.
Mrs Clarke said research indicated that most victims did not want their spouse charged and were only looking for an end to the violence. Under the Domestic Violence Act, a restraining order - a civil procedure - could be placed on the offender.
"This can stop the offender from entering the house or seeing the spouse or whatever is necessary," she said.
Application for this Protection Order can be made by either the vic- tim or a police officer on the victim's
behalf. The order is issued by a magistrate.
Mrs Clarke said that when the Protec- tion Order application was made by police, the offender could be retained without a warrant for up to four hours to "cool off'.
She said the protection order could serve to warn offenders that they were liable for their actions, thus deterring them from committing further violence.
"The Act threatens severe criminal consequences -a maximum penalty of 12 months jail, $2400 or both- for those who break the protection order or per- sist in harming their spouses," Mrs Clarke said.
Victoria, SA and NSW introduced similar legislation a couple of years ago.
The task force report, titled
"Beyond the walls" which recom- mended the legislation's introduction looked into the extent of wife bash- ing, degrading sexual abuse and spouses' threats.
The financial costs to the community of severe violence has been estimated at $100 million annually.
Mrs Clarke said almost half the
people who responded to a recent federal survey believed domestic violence was acceptable. They should realise that domestic violence was just as bad as attacking a stranger.
In a task force phone-in, 22 percent of callers reported fractures as a result of domestic violence, 27 percent reported head injuries, 25 percent lacerations and 29 percent sexual abuse.
Mrs Clarke emphasised that the task force researched violence between spouses or de factos and did not look at child sexual abuse.
"That's a completely different area requiring special attention," she said.
The majority of people who phoned the task force said their children had also been abused.
Despite these figures, only eight percent said they had had their partners charged and arrested for as- saulting them.
The task force also made recommen- dations to initiate a domestic violence awareness program, to increase training in required areas and to give victims wanting separate accommodation from their spouse Queensland Housing Commission priority.
