Camden challenge scenarios

At the start of their projects, students were given a detailed briefing on a local challenge facing their community. These challenges are summarised below.

Ageing population and rise in dementia
Camden’s ageing population will be an asset, providing a wealth of skills, knowledge, wisdom and mentorship. However, this also presents challenges, such as a widening retirement savings gap and rapidly escalating healthcare expenditure. This will change people’s lifestyles, the services they demand and the structure of the labour force.

Agriculture
By 2050 the world’s population is expected to reach over 9 billion people; to meet this demand food production must increase by 60 per cent. With population increase comes an increased demand for housing and this reduces the land available for agriculture. With this reduction in available land into the future, both the scale and picture of food production in Australia is likely to change. Innovation is required to meet the challenge of ensuring food security in both Australia and the rest of the world.

Air Quality
We have recently seen the impact of dust from drought affected fields and the bushfires decreasing the air quality and health of people in the Camden region. Solutions to reduce the amounts of pollutants released into and carried by the air are needed.

Biodiversity
Camden displays biological diversity and is positioned at the intersection of three Aboriginal tribal boundaries: the Gundungurra, Tharawal and Dharug. There is a wide range of living organisms in the region, whose survival is dependent on the ability to adapt to the changing abiotic and biotic features of the ecosystem. Protected areas are crucial for conserving biodiversity and supporting ecological processes beneficial to human well-being.

Disability in High School
According to the 2016 Census, 4.3 per cent of the population in the Camden local government area required assistance in their day to day lives due to disability. Camden Council and Camden Region Economic Taskforce have the challenge to ensure they provide the relevant services and activities to cater for these students.

Energy
Energy powers our daily lives and global demand for energy is forecast to grow at a rapid rate. It is suggested that the world’s appetite for this valuable resource could lift by more than 70 per cent by the year 2040. The single largest energy source, coal, is near its end, thus a secure and affordable electricity supply is crucial for Australia to maintain a strong economy and preserve our quality of life.. Harnessing renewable energy to reduce Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels is one of our biggest challenges.

Heat Stress
Camden is vulnerable to heat stress. Heat stress occurs when your body cannot maintain a healthy temperature (37 degrees Celsius). Heat stress results in more deaths in Australia than bush fires. The design of buildings, construction and insulation and the use of skylights, glazing and shading also impacts the way temperature is experienced by locals and their use of energy consuming appliances.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing businesses primarily work with metals, chemicals, wood and other non-metals, food and fabrics. Consequences of COVID-19 will impact local manufacturing and career opportunities. This requires people with the interest, skills, knowledge and curiosity to be active in these industries, and for SMEs to be flexible and to continue being innovative.

Mental Health
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises their potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to contribute to their community. To maintain good mental health, it is helpful to be part of the community, have social connections and strong personal relationship.

Population Growth
The world’s growing population will place pressure on scarce natural resources, and to meet the needs of all these people, careful and clever planning will be needed. From housing to health, to transport to employment, innovation is needed to find solutions to issues that emerge as more and more people fill the Camden area.

Technology
How will our continued immersion with technology and reliance on the digital world affect our direction? Machines don’t just do things that we’ve told them to do better and faster, but they are coming up with new ways of doing things that we wouldn’t have thought of. These technologies not only have the potential to impact how we live but also how we work.

Transport
To support the wellbeing of its residents, Camden Council works with the State and National government bodies to implement and oversee a range of initiatives that lead to the safe free flow movement of people. In Camden this includes provisions for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, those using public transport and those in disadvantaged groups.

Water
Across Australia, the driest populated continent on earth, consumers use on average 100,000 L of freshwater per person, per year. Water taken out of the system for domestic, agricultural or energy production is water that is not available for the environment. Maintaining the health of local water bodies is imperative for their future preservation.