Urban environments Small towns, slum settlements and uranium mining environments Sharon Jones Distance Education Centre Victoria

Timetable Weeks 1-3Small towns Weeks 5-7Slum settlements Weeks 9-11, 13-15Uranium mining environments Weeks 4, 8 & 12 Fieldwork on a small town or section of a large town/city

Small towns Small towns in eastern Victoria Distribution Spatial change over time

Small towns in eastern Victoria, kms small town boundary of eastern Victoria coastline Metropolitan Melbourne N Source of data for map: Australian Bureau of Statistics,

Poowong – geographic characteristics Natural characteristics or features Human characteristics or features Factors influencing geographic characteristics Spatial interaction between Poowong and surrounding region

How and why have rural settlements in Victoria changed over time? How and why has Poowong changed over time? What factors have influenced change in Victoria’s towns?

Slum settlements Geographic characteristics what are they? living conditions? where?

How and why do slum settlements develop and change? Cairo and Rio de Janeiro types – what, where, living conditions change over time factors influencing development and change most important factors

What is and can be done to manage change in slum settlements? Predicted change to number and distribution of slum populations What is being done – Millenium Goals & Targets Improving slum settlements in Thailand strategies, advantages and disadvantages process predicted achievement of aims

Discussion - are slums inevitable? ‘…slums are no more inevitable than they are acceptable. While it may be difficult to overcome relative poverty, it is perfectly possible to ensure that the poor are provided with adequate shelter and basic services.’ Tibaijuka, A. Cities without slums, -output/topics/slum-upgrading/action- plan.html -output/topics/slum-upgrading/action- plan.html ‘Just as slums and slum dwellers need cities to survive, so do cities need slums to thrive. With large numbers competing for work in cities, it is easier to pay low wages. However, a worker still needs to live, and without the informal settlements, the minimal acceptable salary would really hit the pockets and the profits of the rich. In over 150 years of trying, we have yet to come up with a viable alternative.’ Mumtaz, B. Why cities need slums nts/global/Vol7_No3_why_cities_need_ slums.doc nts/global/Vol7_No3_why_cities_need_ slums.doc

Fieldwork Geographic characteristics – natural and human Processes and factors contributing to / influencing geographic characteristics Change in geographic characteristics Processes and factors influencing change Use of data collection / spatial concepts / geographic techniques

Mii babies Mii Baby  Mining Information Institute, Colorado, USA,

Uranium mining environments Where is uranium mined? – global scale How is uranium mined? How has uranium production changed over time?

Uranium mining in Australia Where is uranium currently mined? Past and present uranium mining Geographic characteristics of current mines – Ranger, Olympic Dam and Beverley Factors influencing geographic characteristics of uranium mining environments

Changes in uranium production Figure 9.8Western World uranium production, Source: World Uranium Mining, Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper 41, UIC, Melbourne, July

How and why have uranium mining environments in Australia changed? Distribution 1960 – 2007 Changes to natural and human environments when a new mine established Change due to mine rehabilitation Who influences change? – mining companies, political parties and policies, environmental groups, community groups, indigenous groups

Rehabilitation – Mary Kathleen

Are uranium mining environments sustainable? What do we mean by sustainability? Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development’s (the Brundtland Commission) report Our Common Future, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987) How do uranium mining companies view sustainability? Are uranium mining environments sustainable?

Sustainability involves balancing Social, Economic and Environmental needs Development Education Project, World Bank Institute, Social Equity Participation Empowerment Social Mobility Cultural Preservation Economic Services Household Needs Industrial Growth Agricultural Growth Efficient Use of Labour Environment Biodiversity Natural Resources Carrying Capacity Ecosystem Integrity Clean Air and Water