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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-30 Daily Xml
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APPLETON INSTITUTE FOR BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:40): I rise today to speak about the Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science. The Appleton Institute is based in Adelaide and was established earlier in the year as part of the Central Queensland University. The Appleton Institute's mission is to foster an Australia-wide network of specialists to provide a one-stop shop providing practical and innovative solutions to complex social problems.

Formerly the Adelaide Centre for Sleep Research, the institute is under the guidance of fatigue expert Professor Drew Dawson. He leads a team of multidisciplinary researchers which includes human factor experts, anthropologists, social psychologists and organisational design specialists. Whilst it may have been thought that the centre predominantly conducted research in the field of sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation and/or sleep restriction, the rebadging of the centre to the Appleton Institute emphasises that there is a variety of research being conducted.

The institute is a multidisciplinary research group, which allows it to provide flexible and varied research perspectives. The Appleton Institute is currently involved in a number of research projects, including examining the operational readiness of volunteer firefighters. When consideration is given to the dangerous work that volunteer firefighters undertake, it is imperative to understand the effects of being on call and having to perform their duties at all hours of the day or night, often with very little or no sleep. Understanding the effects will ultimately lead to the development of better policies and practices, which could in turn lead to the prevention of loss of property or, more importantly, life. The institute is also conducting organisational research relating to the CFS.

Research is also being conducted in the rail industry on a number of issues. These include driver fatigue, route knowledge acquisition, train crowding and risk mitigation. The institute is also involved in the development of a national rail safety management program as well as researching best practice for work health and safety not only in the rail industry but across the board. Further general basic sleep research conducted by the institute includes examining the influence of sleep on the sports performance of elite athletes, investigating sleep habits in students in rural and remote schools, and an investigation into the circadian rhythm—which many would know colloquially as a person's natural body clock—and what the impacts are when this rhythm is skewed or interrupted.

Leading paediatric sleep psychologist Dr Sarah Blunden is one of the researchers at the institute and has recently co-authored a book which is a guide to baby sleep in the first year. However, as previously mentioned, the institute is not only focused on sleep research. Studies are conducted on a variety of subjects, such as the relationship between animals and humans, pathways to employment for migrants and asylum seekers, and participatory processes at work, (that is, how management and employees can work together cooperatively to solve workplace problems).

The commitment by the Central Queensland University to invest in the Appleton Institute, based in Adelaide, is a coup for South Australia, as it will help to foster the state's education base. Over the next five years the Central Queensland University will invest more than $7 million in the institute. Research outcomes from the institute should be noted by all decision-makers in order to better facilitate good outcomes and to improve current policies and practices.

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