JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Maxine Newlands

About

Dr Maxine Newlands (BA (Hons), MA, PhD, FHEA) is a political scientist working to understand how and why environmental politics and networks of communication transform policymaking.

Maxine's research includes collaborations with marine scientists, government agencies, and environmental non-governmental organisations, extending to a transdisciplinary approach of knowledge brokering and co-designing communities of practice and policymakers from the environmental sectors. Her second monograph, The Environmental Politics of the Great Barrier Reef, will be published by Routledge in their Global Environmental Governance Series in 2023.

Current research and leadership roles include

The Reef Restoration and Adaptation, Regulatory subprogram –we aim to help develop a robust and enabling regulatory environment for reef restoration and adaptation.
Lead author- Scientific Consensus Statement
Blue Humanities Lab-co-chair (with ANU)- a collaborative project situated around the issues of climate change and the 'blue' spaces of our world. Maxine and co-chair Claire Hansen at ANU are editing a new collection of essays on the Blue Humanities in Australia for Routledge (forthcoming 2023).
Women of the Reef –co-convenor. Women of the Reef is a professional network that facilitates the trade of information and the generation of long-term relationships with mutual benefits for members.
Environmental Policy and Media Lab – Director –details to follow.

Media

Often quoted in the media, her latest political commentary can be found here. In addition, Max can be heard Wednesday and Friday on her weekly politics talk on ABC far North (Wednesday 9:30) and ABC North Queensland (Friday 08:30).

Advisory

Maxine is currently an advisor to six full-time postgraduate candidates. If you are interested in studying for a Master's or PhD with Maxine, she specialises in the following areas:

Marine global environmental governance and policy development
Social justice, global environmental governance and policy development
Political communication (including social and traditional media), policy and the environment

Teaching

EV2100: International Environmental Policy and Governance (Level 2; TSV)
EV5107: International Environmental Policy and Governance (Level 5; TSV)
PL1001: The Political World: An Introduction to Political Science (Level 1; CNS & TSV)

Interests

Professional

Maxine was the Project Manager and lead investigator for the Townsville 150 Old and the News exhibition (Feb 2016 - Jan 2017) at the Museum of Tropical Queensland.

Research

Environmental politics and the Great Barrier Reef; environmental governance, policy in ecosystem restoration.
Maxine's research focuses -Political Ecology -Political Communciation -Environmental journalism -environmental politics and governance - radical politics and protest movements ; and Media discourse and the Great Barrier Reef. - Gender disparity in the developing world. Maxine's methodological approaches centers on critical discourse analysis, discourse analysis, focus groups, content analysis and empirical research. Maxine's monograph 'Environmental Activism and the Media: the Politics of Protest' (Peter Lang Publishers, forthcoming)

Experience

2020 to present - Member, Office of the Great Barrier Reef (QDES) human dimensions working group (Brisbane)
2019 to 2026 - Expert member, International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) ad-hoc restoration committee (Global)
2022 to 2024 - Executive member, Australian Political Studies Association: Environmental policy and politics committee (South Australia)
2020 to 2022 - Member of Teacher Advisory Group member, Queensland Parliamentary Education (Brisbane/online)
2019 to 2022 - Management committee member, Australian Citizen Science Association (NSW / national)
2018 to 2022 - Research Associate, Centre for Policy Futures (University of Queensland)
2015 to 2022 - Research Fellow, Cairns Institute (Cairns, Qld.)
2016 to 2020 - Editor (Reviews), Journal of Environmental Education (Aus.)
2015 - Visiting Academic, National University of Samoa (Apia, Samoa)
2010 to 2014 - Fellow, London East Research Institue (London, UK)

Research Disciplines

Honours

Awards

2014 - Overall Winner - TropECO Excellence award for Outstanding contribution to sustainability at JCU and in the wider community
2019 to 2020 - Journalism Educators and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) Annual Research award
2016 to 2017 - Scholarship- Australian Higher Education Sector Leadership Colloquium; Australian School of Applied Management.
2014 to 2017 - 2014 Winner: Division of Tropical Environment & Societies: Three Minute Thesis Competition 2017 Runner up - ECR dtes 3 MT Competition
2016 - New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant ($110,000) over two years, working with colleagues in Samoa.

Fellowships

2010 - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.
2018 to 2023 - Research Associate at the University of Queensland's Centre for Policy Futures
2015 to 2018 - Visiting Fellow, Media and Journalism, National University of Samoa
2010 to 2014 - London East Research Institute (LERI)

Memberships

2018 - International Political Science Association (IPSA)
2018 to 2022 - Australian Coral Reef Society

Other

2018 - Mentor for ECR at the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) and APSA Environmental Politics and Policy Standing Research Group.
2018 to 2021 - Management Board Member for the Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA)

Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

Dodd A, English P, Lidberg J and Newlands M (2021) Training political reporters during a federal election: The UniPollWatch student journalism project. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 18 (4).
Gibbs M, Gibbs B, Newlands M and Ivey J (2021) Scaling up the global reef restoration activity: avoiding ecological imperialism and ongoing colonialism. PLoS ONE, 16 (5).
Sheaves M, Waltham N, Benham C, Bradley M, Mattone C, Diedrich A, Sheaves J, Sheaves A, Hernandez S, Dale P, Banhalmi-Zakar Z and Newlands M (2021) Restoration of marine ecosystems: understanding possible futures for optimal outcomes. Science of the Total Environment, 796.
Anthony K, Helmstedt K, Bay L, Fidelman P, Hussey K, Lundgren P, Mead D, McLeod I, Mumby P, Newlands M, Schaffelke B, Wilson K and Hardisty P (2020) Interventions to help coral reefs under global change – a complex decision challenge. PLoS ONE, 15 (8).
Ceccarelli D, McLeod I, Boström-Einarsson L, Bryan S, Chartrand K, Emslie M, Gibbs M, Gonzalez Rivero M, Hein M, Heyward A, Kenyon T, Lewis B, Newlands M, Mattocks N, Schläppy M, Suggett D and Bay L (2020) Substrate stabilisation and small structures in coral restoration: state of knowledge, and considerations for management and implementation. PLoS ONE, 15 (10).
Fidelman P, McGrath C, Newlands M, Jago B, Dodds K and Hussey K (2019) Regulatory implications of coral reef restoration and adaptation under a changing climate. Environmental Science & Policy, 100. pp. 221-229
Larri L and Newlands M (2017) Knitting Nannas and Frackman: a gender analysis of Australian anti-coal seam gas documentaries and implications for environmental adult education. Journal of Environmental Education, 48 (1). pp. 35-45
Lloyd R, Newlands M and Petray T (2017) Coral Battleground? Re-examining the 'Save the Reef' campaign in 1960s Australia. Environmental Sociology, 3 (1). pp. 54-63
M'Balla-Ndi M and Newlands M (2016) Talanoa and Habermas's Theory of Communicative Action: journalistic practices in the tropical Pacific. Etropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 15 (2). pp. 68-81

Books

Newlands M (2018) Environmental Activism and the Media: The Politics of Protest. Peter Lang

Book Chapters

Newlands M (2020) Environmental journalism in the Asia and Pacific region. In: Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism. Routledge, New York, USA
Newlands M (2020) Environmental journalism in Australia and New Zealand. In: Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism. Routledge, New York

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 64+ research outputs authored by Dr Maxine Newlands from 2008 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Great Barrier Reef Foundation - Reef Trust Partnership

Sustainable usE And Benefits fOR marinE (SEABORNE)

Indicative Funding: $144,253 over 3 years (administered by CSIRO)
Summary: There exists a large amount of data on Great Barrier Reef use and users and the values and benefits derived. Yet despite the volume of information on current data, it tends to be dispersed and not always in the best form to inform GBRMPAs key questions around management decisions or to enable a complete understanding of progress towards Reef 2050 targets over time. Through co-design with the Great Barrier Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the collaborative CSIRO, JCU and CQU team will: analyse the extent and quality of existing data to understand users, their uses and sustainable benefit through time; identify key gaps in data; prioritise data gaps that need addressing; and design and test a monitoring program to continue and improve the supply of critical data into the future.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands, Diane Jarvis, Victoria Graham, Anthea Coogan, Petina Pert and Jeremy De Valck (The Cairns Institute, College of Business, Law & Governance, Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation and Central Queensland University)
Keywords: Barrier Reef; Spatial; Benefits; Monitoring; Sustainable; Values

Great Barrier Reef Foundation - Reef Restoration and Adaptation Science (RRAP)

Reef Restoration and Adaptation ?Regulatory and Policy Environment

Indicative Funding: $215,000 over 3 years
Summary: The existing regulatory and policy frameworks have originally been designed as part of the conventional approach to reef management. As such, they are not entirely fit for purpose to address unconventional technological interventions for reef restoration and adaptation. These interventions, given their innovative and emerging nature, challenge existing regulatory frameworks to address novel risks and impacts and make decisions based on information with relatively high levels of uncertainty. Critical to the feasibility and viability of RRAP R&D programs is, therefore, an enabling regulatory environment that can effectively and timely assess the range of risks and impacts associated with unconventional reef restoration and adaptation interventions. In this context, the objectives of this project are to: (i) Investigate the capacity of the existing regulatory and policy frameworks to address R&D and deployment of RRAP interventions (ii) Scope which interventions are permitted and under what conditions (e.g., scale, location and timing) with the aim to inform the R&D programs (iii) Help enhance the capacity of the regulatory system to assess the range of risks and impacts associated with R&D and deployment of interventions
Investigators: Maxine Newlands in collaboration with Pedro Fidelman (College of Arts, Society & Education and The University of Queensland)
Keywords: Regulation; Policy; Governance; Regulatory and policy analysis; Reef Restoration; Great Barrier Reef

Queensland Department of Environment and Science - Tender

Understanding the influence of media and community narratives on Great Barrier Reef water quality management

Indicative Funding: $249,546 over 2 years
Summary: News media play a key role in communicating knowledge about the Great Barrier Reef and the risks it faces (Foxwell-Norton and Lester 2017). While media influence on community responses in contested marine protected areas has been demonstrated (Voyer et al. 2013), the multiple pathways through which media can influence outcomes for the GBR are not well understood. This project will map the GBR media landscape - the sources of mainstream and social media, the communication networks and the narratives, values and behaviours in water quality decision-making and practice that media both shape and reflect. Ultimately, the analysis will deliver practical outputs through collaboration with GBR water quality management end users.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands, Tracey Mahony and Erin Bohensky (College of Arts, Society & Education, College of Business, Law & Governance and Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation)
Keywords: Water Quality; Media; Governance; Social Media; Networks; behavioural

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Reef 2050 stakeholder network analysis.

Indicative Funding: $43,476 over 1 year
Summary: Applying a Small World Theory (Watts,1999; Crossley, 2008) this project will generate data for analysis that will identify within the marine and GBR space, the existing highly connected yet geographical distant networks. Small World Theory data can then be used to support adaptive management practices within RIMReP and wider Reef related agencies. The project will assess the current landscape and provide an initial interface network map to show the multilayered nature of existing stakeholders.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands in collaboration with Pedro Fidelman (College of Arts, Society & Education and The University of Queensland)
Keywords: Barrier Reef; Marine Parks; Human Dimension; Monitoring; Governance; Evaluation

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP) - Contract Research

Great Barrier Reef stewardship classification review

Indicative Funding: $4,299
Summary: This project aims to conduct a systematic review that will led to a classification system for understanding ?stewardship? and how to evaluate outcomes of ?stewardship activities? in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands (College of Arts and Society & Education)
Keywords: Stewardship; Management; Governance; Marine Parks; Human; Etymology

Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia - Research Grant

How has journalistic practice shaped public knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef: A discourse analysis of the media clippings 2003-2018

Indicative Funding: $6,000
Summary: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a national and global icon, yet only in the past five years have journalism scholars (c.f Lester and Foxwell-Norton (2018), Lankaster, Newlands, Bohenski, (2015 & 2020); Lloyd, Newlands, Petray, (2014;) begun to study the media reporting of GBR related issues. The decline of the GBR?s health in 2016/17 from back-to-back bleaching means there is a growing sense of urgency to better understand the journalistic practices of how such events and wider issues (such as mining and port expansions) frames Australia?s cultural understanding of this endangered ecosystem. This project with the digitalising of newspapers archives will benefit current and future journalism scholars and educators, add to an emerging field, and contribute towards better public understanding of what drives our understand of the GBR especially during and after catastrophic events such as bleaching.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands (College of Arts and Society & Education)
Keywords: Journalism; Barrier Reef; Governance; Marine Parks; Central Queensland; Discourse

Great Barrier Reef Foundation - Reef Trust Partnership

Regulatory and Permitting Planning for RRAP Program

Indicative Funding: $27,000 (administered by University of Queensland)
Summary: The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program brings together Australia?s leading experts to help preserve and restore the Great Barrier Reef. RRAP is a long-term research project to investigate the best science and technology options to help the Great Barrier Reef resist, repair and recover. This project focuses on research with RRAP scientists and regulators; in regulator and policy research space.
Investigators: Maxine Newlands (College of Arts and Society & Education)
Keywords: Barrier Reef; Restoration; Governance; Regulation; Adaptation

Department of Industry - Contract Research

Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program Design Phase

Indicative Funding: $286,500 over 2 years (administered by AIMS)
Summary: The RRAP Design Phase seeks to deliver a business case for government, industry and private investment, the primary objective of which is to develop reef restoration and adaptation technologies that can be applied at scale, within affordability and practicality limits, to retain key functional attributes of the Great Barrier Reef. This project will contribute JCU expertise to evaluating coral restoration methods, undertaking regulatory and institutional environment mapping required for restoration to occur and an analysis of the viewpoints and engagement of stakeholders in reef restoration.
Investigators: Ian McLeod, Maxine Newlands and Stewart Lockie (TropWATER, College of Arts, Society & Education and The Cairns Institute)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Reef Restoration

Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

Investigating the challenges and needs of small island developing states to develop improved processes for the monitoring of fouling marine invasive species (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
Oil, Fisheries and Coastal livelihoods: A Political Ecology of Coastal Governance in Niger Delta, Nigeria (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Mobilising Communities for Reef Restoration and Stewardship (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
When do Scientists become Advocates? The Blurred line between Science and Advocacy and the Role of Social Media (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Investigating corruption in Papua New Guinea through the patron-client structure: The citizens' perception (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

Connecting to nature in the digital age: A cross-cultural study of pro-environmental individuals in the United States and in Australia (2022, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Mapping connection, disconnection and power within the social news media network: a case study of the Great Barrier Reef UNESCO 2021 'In Danger' recommendation on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook (2022, Masters , Primary Advisor)

Data

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

Newlands, M. (2017) T150 Old and the News Data on Regional Media Habits in North Queensland. James Cook University

Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.