Election 2010 may go down as the most boring cliffhanger in history but at least it hammered home this seemingly obvious message.

In his keynote speech at the New News 2010 Conference last night, ABC Managing Director Mark Scott described Election 2010 as the ‘journalistic gift that keeps on giving’. By now, most of us appreciate this ‘gift’ about as much as the pair of socks we receive every year at Christmas.

Despite this, Scott raises an interesting point: in the media-saturated world that is Election 2010, journalists have the opportunity to reflect on how they go about political reporting. In particular, how they report election developments when anyone with an iPhone can be a political commentator.

It’s a point that was discussed a few weeks ago by influential journalist Jay Rosen at his Melbourne talk on how to avoid ‘horserace journalism’,  that is, ‘campaign coverage in which you focus on who’s going to win rather than what the country needs to settle by electing a prime minister.’ Here at upstart we took Rosen’s advice on board and did our own experiment with citizen journalism.

It seems we’re not the only ones who reflected on Rosen’s words. Scott referenced conversations on #ausvotes and the popularity of blogs such as Grog’s Gamut as clear evidence that ‘the people formerly known as the audience [know] how to ask pretty good questions’. He acknowledged that the public now expect more than just ‘politics’, that is, commentary on politicians’ daily activities, and said:

‘We identified that the dynamic political news was crowding out proper reporting of policy initiatives in some news bulletins – and that we needed to allocate more time to reporting some of these issues properly.’

Many journalists would likely shudder at the thought of being lumped in the same category as politicians, and vice versa, but the ‘take home’ lesson from Election 2010 seems remarkably similar for both. From Gillard’s Clinton-borrowed  ‘the people have spoken, but it’s going to take a little while to determine exactly what they’ve said’ to Scott’s ‘we adjusted our strategy as we listened to critics, our audiences – and critiqued our own coverage’, the lesson learned is obvious: the public cannot be ignored.

Of course Election 2010 worked out a lot better for the ABC than it did for the ALP. Despite the criticisms of ABC News 24, Scott was able to point to a number of ABC successes such as Phillip Adams’ interview with Kevin Rudd. The case for the ABC’s success in Election 2010 was also strengthened by a barb or two thrown at the opposition, Rupert Murdoch, as Scott referenced the Rooty Hill debate and the now very public paywall dispute.

Scott concluded his speech by referencing Rosen’s citizens’ agenda ideals and suggesting that this may be the way forward for ABC political reporting. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. What is however blindingly obvious is the fact that things have changed for journalists and politicians. Neither is responsible for defining the political landscape and those who try it do so at their own peril.

It’s taken awhile but the message has finally sunk in.

You can read a transcript of Mark Scott’s speech here.

Sarah Green is a Master of Global Communications student and a member of the upstart editorial team.

Five Burning Questions from Week 4:

1. When will Wellington Phoenix end its bout of travel sickness?

2. How much of a concern is the decreasing crowd numbers?

3. Will Sydney FC make the finals?

4. Has Melbourne Victory turned the corner?

5. Is the FFA’s decision to get tough and suspend divers correct?

Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory

Friday 3 September 2010, 8pm AEST at Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford (Fox Sports 1)

Central Coast has had a tumultuous week having to defend star midfielder Patricio Pérez amid accusations of diving and is very aggrieved with his subsequent suspension. But now the Mariners’ focus needs to turn to football as they take on a Melbourne Victory team coming off its first win of the season. Coach Graham Arnold will be happy to have taken five points from the opening four rounds, which has included three road trips. However, now that they are back on home soil he will be expecting nothing less than a win. To achieve this, the Mariners need to cut out simple errors like the howler from young keeper Matthew Ryan on the weekend and the defensive woes against Wellington. Victory seems to have turned the corner following its win last week and no doubt will be looking to notch back-to-back away successes. Carlos Hernandez was in superlative form against the Gold Coast and it is no surprise he has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award alongside the likes of Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer. The way he controlled the match was a joy to watch and if he continues that form this week the Mariners will struggle to win. With key players returning from injury the Victory should be too strong and cruise to the three points.

Team News: Central Coast has problems ahead of this game with Pérez suspended for two games for simulation, while Jess Vanstrattan tore his ACL in training and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, Youngster Matthew Ryan will continue to deputise. Melbourne has lost Nick Ward to Wellington and Evan Berger is in doubt with a corked hamstring. However, Billy Celeski and Tom Pondeljak are fit again and if his international transfer clearance comes through Brazilian striker Ricardinho could be a surprise inclusion.

Prediction: Central Coast Mariners 0-2 Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Heart v North Queensland Fury

Saturday 4 September, 5:15pm AEST at AAMI Park, Melbourne (Fox Sports 1)

The Heart was heartbreakingly close to its first ever victory last Sunday until some rather unfortunate dramatics spoiled the party. But this week they have another chance to chalk up that first win against a North Queensland Fury side that will be desperate not to pick up two consecutive losses. The Heart’s attacking display was outstanding, with Alex Terra and Gerald Sibon leading the way up front with their deft touches which bought other players into the match. However, every time they make a mistake the boys seem to be punished which is a harsh lesson but one that needs to be learnt quickly. The Fury suffered its first loss last weekend and it was very obvious the team was missing the big presence of Eric Akoto in the centre of defence. Two of the goals came from poor marking, either from a corner or a cross, so they will need to tighten up down back. Despite the loss, the Fury was still able to show its attacking prowess and never say die attitude, something which the Heart will have to be extremely wary of. It will be interesting whether the Fury try and counter the Heart’s beautiful football with an attacking performance of its own, or just decide to sit back and soak up the pressure. The long-awaited return of ex-Socceroo hero John Aloisi should help fire the Heart boys to their first victory.
Team News: Aloisi will likely start on the Heart bench in his return , while Michael Beauchamp is a chance to return from his ankle injury, meaning Kliment Taseski and Eli Babalj could be the unlucky ones to make way. The Fury will welcome back defenders Eric Akoto and Chris Grossman from suspension with Brett Studman and Jack Hingert likely to make way.

Prediction: Melbourne Heart 2-1 North Queensland Fury

Sydney FC v Adelaide United

Saturday 4 September, 7:30pm AEST at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney (Fox Sports 1)

Sydney FC has really struggled so far this campaign. Only two points from four games can only mean one thing: ‘Premiership hangover.’ Admittedly, they have had some injuries to key players; however their strength last season was their depth. In the finals series they were missing their two most experienced players John Aloisi and Steve Corica due to injury, but the players who stepped in to fill the breach certainly did the job. This season though it has not been the case. The one thing in their favour this week is that Adelaide’s record at the SFS is far from impressive, having lost seven from nine at the venue. The Reds have been in good recent form and their win last week in the Townsville heat was fantastic. Coach Rini Coolen has the team playing structured football but is allowing his key players to show some flair and express themselves. Marcos Flores scored a world-class goal last week and his combinations with Mathew Leckie and Sergio van Dijk bamboozled the Fury defence at times and it will be key in this encounter. For me it has a draw written all over it as both teams will be desperate to get the points and could cancel each other out.

Team News: Sydney hopes to have new Brazilian striker Bruno Cazarine available; his inclusion likely to come at the expense of Terry Antonis. Liam Reddy is available after his red card was rescinded, but Alex Brosque and Terry McFlynn are still another week away. The Reds have made only one change with defender Robert Cornthwaite making a welcome return from injury to replace Korean midfielder Inseob Shin.

Prediction: Sydney FC 1-1 Adelaide United

Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar

Sunday 5 September, 3pm AEST at Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle (Fox Sports 1)

The winless Newcastle Jets will look to put a week of off-field turmoil behind them as they take on a Brisbane Roar side which is purring along very nicely so far. The main problem for the Jets is their goal scoring; only one goal in three games reflects this. It appears that Chinese striker Zhang Shuo will make his debut this week and they will be relying on him along with Michael Bridges to strike up a good combination quickly and bang in the goals. The Roar is going along swimmingly with seven points from three games, without conceding a single goal in the process. Their attacking play has been great to watch and Coach Ange Postecoglou seems to finally have them working as a cohesive unit. It has been a little unfortunate that they have been unable to produce their dominance into bags of goals, but it is only a matter of time. One player I have enjoyed watching is German midfielder Thomas Broich. He has excellent technical ability and comes from a system where the mentality is to win; two things Australian players need to improve. Newcastle has a very good record at home but, after the week they have had, beating Brisbane on current form may be one bridge too far and it could finally be the day where the Roar finally manages a plethora of goals.

Team News: Newcastle has plenty to deal with ahead of this match. Not only have they had well-documented financial woes but they have an injury crisis as well. Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Ruben Zadkovich, Kaz Patafta and Jobe Wheelhouse have all been ruled out with hamstring injuries. To offset this, international imports Zhang Shuo and Marcello Fiorentini look set to make their debuts after achieving the required fitness levels. Brisbane looks set to unleash Costa Rican striker JC Solorzano but he may find it hard to break into a winning team.

Prediction: Newcastle Jets 0-3 Brisbane Roar

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix

Sunday 5 September, 5pm AEST at nib Stadium, Perth (Fox Sports 1)

The Glory returns to home soil having been mightily relieved to come away from its trip to Melbourne with a point. Last week’s extraordinary finish culminated in Robbie Fowler converting a penalty controversially won by fellow striker Michael Baird, who received a two-match suspension for his efforts. The Glory’s first half display against the Heart would be of concern to coach Dave Mitchell. They looked lethargic, disjoined and almost disinterested, but this improved markedly after the break. With the return of Andy Todd and Jamie Harnwell the Glory defence should be rock solid, while Mile Sterjovski should help the attack become more dangerous. Wellington embarks upon its second consecutive road trip, having been unable to break its travel hoodoo against Brisbane last weekend. The Phoenix struggled to break down a well-organised and disciplined Roar outfit with Paul Ifill and Chris Greenacre struggling to have any meaningful impact. The signing during the week of Melbourne Victory midfielder Nick Ward should help provide another attacking outlet but can they break down a sturdy Glory back line? Perth will be seeking revenge for its penalty shootout loss in last year’s finals series and with Wellington having to make one of the longest road trips in world football the Glory should win this one.

Team News: Perth is without Michael Baird, whose embarrassing dive helped earn a point last weekend but received similar treatment to Patricio Pérez. The Glory is strengthened, though, with the return of key pillars Andy Todd, Jamie Harnwell and Mile Sterjovski. Josh Risdon and Anthony Skorich are the unlucky players expected to make way. Wellington has Manny Muscat unavailable due to international duty with Malta, so Troy Hearfield should step in at right back. New signing Nick Ward is set to make his Wellington debut from the bench against one of his former clubs. Danny Vukovic may also replace Mark Paston in goal. The Kiwi international struggled with his groin injury last week, and it could be decided that two consecutive road trips is too big a task. 

Prediction: Perth Glory 3-1 Wellington Phoenix

John Takemura is a second-year Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe University.

Friday 3 September, 7:45pm AEST at MCG, Melbourne (Channel 7)

Recent Form: If anyone doubted Geelong’s hunger to win a third flag in four years, they were wrong. Since losing to Collingwood by 22 points in Round 19 earlier this season, the Cats have been in ominous form and seem more determined than ever to win a premiership. They won their final three matches against the Western Bulldogs, Carlton and West Coast by an average of 62 points.

The Saints played it safe last weekend – and who could blame them. They trailed Adelaide by just one point at quarter time after which coach Ross Lyon ordered his team to back off in intensity and play with a lot more caution to avoid any serious injuries before the finals series. As a consequence they lost to the Crows by 29 points, but now have a full-strength line-up for tonight’s match.

Key Players: You’ve got to love the way Joel Selwood goes about his business on the field. He’s a tough, nuggetty and inspirational midfielder who personifies on-field leadership. But stats show that Selwood has struggled slightly in his few finals appearances so far. If he can rectify that problem and perform anywhere near his best tonight, he could singlehandedly win the game for the Cats.

Brendon Goddard is a class player and has enjoyed an outstanding season so far. He’s a great mark, has the ability to play virtually anywhere on the ground, but, most importantly, is a long, accurate and direct kick of the footy. If Goddard can use that kick to his advantage in the wet conditions, St Kilda will already be halfway to winning the game.

Who wins?: Who could forget last year’s Grand Final between these two teams? It was one of the most brutal games in recent history, setting records for the highest amount of contested possessions and tackles in a game. It was wet and cold, but the Cats emerged victorious in the end. However, Saints small forwards Stephen Milne and Adam Schneider exposed the Geelong defence in Round 13 earlier this year by using their elusive speed and sneaky goal sense to help their team to a 26-point win.

But Geelong coach Mark Thompson said earlier this week that his team has never been in better shape before a finals series, despite its unbelievable success over the past three years. Even without key forward James Podsiadly, the Cats’ team chemistry and belief in their own ability should see them advance straight through to a preliminary final.     

Prediction: Geelong by 12 points

Fremantle v Hawthorn

Saturday 4 September, 3:20pm AEST at Subiaco Oval, Perth (Channel 10 LIVE)

Recent Form: Fremantle had close to its full-strength team back last weekend and produced a tough six-point win over Carlton. While it was a far from convincing victory, there were still plenty of good signs for the Dockers. Most notable was the performance of ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who returned for his first game in three weeks and dominated the Blues’ ruck division with 20 possessions, 40 hitouts and 13 clearances.

As I said in last week’s preview, we would get a real sense of where Hawthorn stood after its match against Collingwood. And after defeating the Pies by three points, we now know that the Hawks are more than capable of matching it with the best. They pounced on Collingwood’s missed opportunities and stood up when the game needed to be won. Lance Franklin exposed the Magpies’ defence, playing deep in the forward line and booting through six goals in his best haul for the year so far.

Key Players: For such a talented player, Matthew Pavlich probably doesn’t receive the respect he deserves, mainly because he doesn’t play for a Victorian club. But the Fremantle skipper has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself against the Hawks on Saturday with a big finals performance. If Pavlich gets his hands on the ball early, not only will he lift, but the whole side will grow in confidence as well.

He may not be their best player, but Clinton Young might just be the Hawks’ most important player. If it wasn’t for a hamstring injury after halftime in the 2008 Grand Final, Young might well have won the Norm Smith Medal for the best player on the ground that day. His pace around the ground is deceptive and his long kicking inside the forward 50 exposes defenders matched up on Franklin and Jarryd Roughead, forcing them to panic and make crucial mistakes.

Who wins?: Before this season began, very few predicted the Dockers would play in the finals. But they have defied the critics and now find themselves hosting a home final. Full credit must go to the Fremantle board for persisting with coach Mark Harvey and for believing in his ability. However, the fairytale run ends here.

Hawthorn has been there and done it before, while the Dockers are young and uncertain of what to expect in a finals match. The Hawks regain inspirational leader Luke Hodge, a man that many believe can win this year’s Brownlow medal. If they can curb Sandilands’s influence in the ruck, use Young’s run to their advantage on the wide open spaces of Subiaco Oval and shut the home crowd up quickly and early, the Hawks will be heading to a semi-final match in Melbourne.

Prediction: Hawthorn by 18 points

Collingwood v Western Bulldogs

Saturday 4 September, 7:20pm AEST at MCG, Melbourne (Channel 10)

Recent Form: It’s fair to say that the Magpies have been ordinary over the last two weeks compared with the high standard they have set themselves throughout this year. They had an unconvincing three-point victory over Adelaide in Round 21 and narrowly lost to Hawthorn last weekend by three points as well. However the Pies had little to play for, knowing that the top spot on the ladder couldn’t be stolen from them. Still, it will be a tough task to bounce back after those below par performances.

The Bulldogs regained a little bit of momentum last weekend with a 29-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium. They looked a little more confident in their own ability and seemed to rediscover their run and carry game style.  However, it must be said that they were playing a dismal opposition who looked disinterested.

Key Players: Heath Shaw has endured an inconsistent season to date, but it is no secret that he loves playing against the Western Bulldogs. In his last five matches against the Dogs, the rebounding defender has dominated, averaging 28 disposals a game. If Shaw matches up on the underdone Brad Johnson like he usually does and is able to find plenty of the footy off half-back, he could easily be the difference between the two teams.

In his short career, Ryan Griffen has already shown how damaging he can be during a finals match. His individual performance against St Kilda in last year’s preliminary final was simply outstanding, restricting Brendon Goddard to 21 possessions while gathering 28 possessions himself along with seven inside 50s and three goal assists. If Griffen can overcome a niggling knee injury, his explosive pace and goalkicking ability will be crucial to the Dogs’ chances of victory.

Who wins?: Many – including yours truly – tipped the Dogs to win this year’s premiership before this season started. However, injuries to key players in the past month have seriously hindered their chances. Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and key defender Dale Morris will both miss the rest of the season, while Shaun Higgins, Griffen and Johnson go into Saturday night’s match seemingly less than 100 per cent fit.

The Magpies regain star forward Alan Didak as well as Leigh Brown and Ben Johnson, but will be even more confident knowing they have already beaten the Bulldogs twice this year – by 36 points in Round one and 10 points in Round 11. Their depth and balance across the field is unquestionable and, despite a few errant performances in the last two weeks, they should be too classy for the injury riddled Dogs.

Prediction: Collingwood by 30 points

Sydney v Carlton

Sunday 5 September, 2:40pm AEST at ANZ Stadium, Sydney (Channel 7 LIVE)

Recent Form: Sydney has been one of the form teams of the competition over the past month, with four consecutive victories, including three of those against top-eight sides. While the current team is made up of players who have plenty of experience, it has been the Swans’ younger players who have really stood out over the past few weeks, particularly Daniel Hannebery, who recently won this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star award.

Despite a six-point loss to Fremantle last Friday night, Carlton still showed a few positive signs. The Blues applied great pressure when they didn’t have the ball, clearly winning the tackle count 90-64. Also skipper Chris Judd and fellow midfielder Marc Murphy gathered 30 possessions each. However their bottom six or seven players are the ones who need to lift in order to keep their premiership aspirations alive.

Key Players: In full flight, there aren’t many better players to watch in the competition than Adam Goodes. The dual Brownlow medallist spent a large percentage of game time in the forward line earlier in the season. But Goodes has been rotating frequently through the midfield over the past two months and has produced some breathtaking performances. The Blues can’t afford to give him any freedom and let him get into a rhythm.

Jarrad Waite is the ultimate enigma, and the difference between his best and worst form is far too great at the moment. But the positive for the Blues is that when he’s at his best he is close to unstoppable. Waite is at his most dangerous when playing up in the forward line. He has kicked 13 goals in the last four weeks and must continue that form if the Blues want any chance of advancing to the semi-finals.

Who wins?: This game will be played at ANZ Stadium, not the SCG. If this game was at the SCG, the Swans would be the best bet of the round because they play that ground better than any other team. But because Sunday’s clash is at a different venue – a significantly larger playing surface than the SCG – the Blues have every right to feel confident.

But the Swans’ form is far too good to ignore. In addition, they regain key players in Tadgh Kennelly, Hannebery and Shane Mumford this weekend. Carlton will be weary and will find it difficult to travel interstate two weeks in a row. The Swans’ backline will also be too quick for the Blues and should win quite comfortably on Sunday.

Prediction: Sydney by 25 points

Ben Waterworth is a regular contributor to upstart and a Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe University. You can read more of his work at his blog, A Short Sport Thought. This article also appears on Sportingbet Australia’s website.

You’ll hear Meghan Lodwick demonstrating a new interviewing technique whilst chatting to future journalism students at La Trobe University’s open day.

We also talk to Upstart’s Ben Waterworth about his recent experiences covering the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Former rapper turned actor, Will Smith, once said that ‘parents just don’t understand,’ a statement the CEO of the Foundation for Young Australians, Adam Smith, took to heart.

Last night, the Melbourne Writers Festival held Big Ideas: changing the world, an event that saw Smith and World Vision youth delegate, Chris Varney, explain why the absence of young people’s voices in the community is becoming increasingly detrimental.

Both against ageism, Smith and Varney began a mission to better their environment in early adolescence. Along the way they found that helping others led to a greater impact on the community at large.

‘Thriving communities give young people equal rights to contribute,’ Smith said recalling his uncomfortable childhood and apparent square peg syndrome.

Born to a Collingwood football player and nurse, Smith’s success was measured by that of his father. ‘My career path was to play for Collingwood and become the youngest person to win a Brownlow,’ Smith said, who, at 29, is one of Australia’s youngest CEO’s. Instead he bounced around 15 different jobs in his early teens before volunteering with disabled kids and eventually becoming a philanthropist.

Varney, an arts/law student at Monash University, met a similar kind of grief growing up. Diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at an early age, his parents decided to keep his disability from him, ‘they didn’t want me to be labelled, not knowing was probably the best behavioural therapy I could have received.’ Yet, Varney also felt out of place during his early years at school and took to volunteer work which boosted his confidence.

‘What I was doing was worthwhile and I was interested in it,’ Varney said of his work with the 40 Hour Famine and as the 2009 Australian youth representative to the United Nations. Smith and Varney became used to the fact that they didn’t fit the mould which helped them build their own success.

As young people have more and more information at their fingertips and the ability to be more globally aware, their say becomes more relevant to the future.

Smith and Varney agree that the way kids are taught in school needs to be altered to better fit the information age. ‘The transfer of information from teacher to student is no longer needed, schools need to teach kids how to navigate through an overload of information, to make better choices using new resources as an advantage to become better members of society,’ Smith said.

Varney also agreed that choice was an empowering tool for a young person and that being able to effectively contribute to society would be rewarded with a sense of purpose.

As long time active members in their own communities, Smith and Varney saw their potential to act which transformed into wider impressions. The ability for a young person to engage with their own community is an innovative way to bring about change which can benefit more than the individual.

Being active is practical. As information is so easily attainable nowadays it becomes easier for young people to figure out what they are most passionate about. The idea of following a specific format and building a life modelled after previous generations becomes outdated as more and more young people see that sticking to the norm may not suit their personality.

‘There are alternative pathways to conventional standards, it’s about finding a niche,’ Smith said as he recalled his days of failing and eventually dropping out of university. ‘My father used to say “to defer was defeat” yet when I began to win awards for my philanthropy work, he couldn’t have been more proud.’

Meghan Lodwick is a Master of Global Communications student and a member of the upstart editorial team.

Have you recently seen an event? Click here for more details on the Melbourne Writers Festival and how to contribute.

Following her praised debut High Art (1998) and accomplished sophomore follow-up Laurel Canyon (2002), writer/director Lisa Cholodenko doesn’t disappoint with the The kids are all right.

Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) are the two proud mums of Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Joni has just turned 18 and has the legal option of finding her sperm donor/biological father. Joni’s hesitation and protection over her mothers’ feelings are quickly put aside by the less apprehensive 15 year-old Laser. The kids organise a meeting with ‘donor dad’ Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an organic fruit purveyor who is the disrupting catalyst for the film’s duration.

Although Paul’s appearance initially causes anxiety, he shakes the characters from their very settled lives; for better and for worse. Painfully awkward encounters between the kids and Paul eventually progress into something warmer and paternal. The anxiety shared by Nic and Jules begins to disappear when Jules works on Paul’s backyard in her latest career move as a landscape designer.

The narrative takes the rest of the film into familiar territory. However, it is not the chain of events in the film that are fascinating, but rather the flawed and multi-faceted characters within. While dysfunction is a familiar theme, The kids are all right looks at people who are facing real problems, rather than dealing with dysfunction.

Cholodenko does a fine job capturing a modern family, where the parents’ sexuality causes tension but is not there to exhibit an anomalous relationship.

Bening and Moore give fearless performances as the dual matriarchs. Moore displays the vulnerability of a woman whose relationship has become habitual and complacent. On the other end of the spectrum, Bening is authoritative, shrewd and conversely unstable as Nic, giving one of her best performances to date.

Cholodenko, co-writer Stuart Blumberg and the cast create a family that is hard not to fall in love with. The imperfect characters’ dishonest betrayals, hurtful secrets and indiscretions are easy to relate to. This is likely to be one of the best films of the year.

The kids are all right screened to sold out shows at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival. The film is released Thursday.

James Madden completed his Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, majoring in Cinema and Media Studies. He contributes to The Vine, Portable.tv, X and Y Magazine and is a co founder of Film Blerg, where this review was originally published.

With 16 billion pounds of coffee beans being distributed around the world annually, the researchers figured 340 million gallons of biofuel could be produced from the waste.

That’s a whole lot of fuel and given that I fill up an 80L garbage bin full of used grounds weekly, maybe I should ditch my day job and go into the oil business.

Last April, agricultural engineers at the University of Missouri decided to continue on from where the researchers left off, testing it further so it can be better recognized as a source for biofuel.

Even though more research will be done, some companies are already utilising grounds as fuel.

Canadian company, Energy Innovation Corp (EIC), have managed to get over 500 cafés in their province to agree on letting them act as trash collectors. The company will then turn used grounds into biofuel expecting it to stop 16 million kilos of it from flooding waste dumps by 2013.

According to EIC CEO, Jon Dwyer, the fuel “can be used in any diesel engine whether it’s a train, a truck, a Volkswagen Jetta or a simple generator without any modification to the engine whatsoever.”

Nestlé have also invested in café output. The company’s Philippines factory, Cagayan de Oro, uses wasted coffee as fuel to, ironically, make NESCAFÉ instant coffee. In fact, worldwide more than 20 Nestlé factories operate with used grounds as a supplemental fuel.

A garbage bag full of used coffee grounds is incredibly heavy. I have to hoist it into the air to get it in a bin, a ritual I do twice daily. I’ve tried giving it to friends for their gardens and taken it home to rid myself of dead skin. But that barely makes a dent in the amount I go through per week.

That’s just one café on the outskirts of Melbourne which is populated with others that probably have the same garbage issues. Melbourne’s well has yet to be struck but if used grounds ever became the norm for fuel expect coffee prices to go up.

Meghan Lodwick is a Master of Global Communications student at La Trobe University. This was originally published at her blog, For the Love of Beans!

Starting today or tomorrow, the position is worth $200 per day until Friday 10 September and will involve phoning media targets to get coverage for speakers at an Australasian health conference.

The conference runs from Monday to Wednesday next week and during these three days you will be manning the phones, but otherwise you will be able to work from home. They are seeking an experienced applicant.

Apply to brett@hootville.com with your CV and a cover letter of no more than 300 words.

In addition, Hootville is running training sessions next week in Melbourne and Perth. Details can be found here.

‘We’re after multi-skilled program makers to create stories across radio and online. As a cross-media journalist, you will publish original stories to the flagship Hack radio show, including packages and live crosses. You will also publish multimedia showcases to the Hack website that involve photos, audio and video.

‘Your stories will originate in bold, accessible and relevant program ideas for young Australians, 18 – 24.
This position requires an advanced level of technical skill – audio editing, video shooting and editing, online publishing – alongside proven editorial judgment and high level experience in researching and conducting interviews.’

The positions are being offered in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne or Brisbane. Applications must be submitted by 17 September. Details of how to apply and what to include with your application can be found here.

The ABC has also advertised for cadet journalists to work its other news services for 2011.

Would they have guessed that, less than two centuries later, Melbourne would be the fastest growing city in Australia?  If the words of John Batman, another founding father, are anything to go by then probably not.   ‘This will be the place for a village’ Batman famously declared, obviously not anticipating today’s population of nearly four million.

Predicting the future is clearly a tricky business. Still, with Labor turfed out of Melbourne’s seat in the House of Reps for the first time since 1904 and everyone waiting to hear who’s going to run the country, it seems as good a time as any to indulge in a little dreaming about the future.

For argument’s sake, let’s double Melbourne’s current age and think about the city in 2185.

Of course the obvious question here is ‘will there even be a Melbourne?’ We all know the earth is warming and things aren’t looking that great for humans. ‘Will we survive’ is an important question and without an answer, any dreaming of future Melbourne seems a little ridiculous.

For just a few moments however, lets follow the example of Melbourne Business Network and stop all the worrying. On the 175^th anniversary of this city, they’ve decided the burning hypothesis most in need of discussion at The Great Melbourne Day Debate is….. ‘That Melbourne Is Still the Foodies Capital’.

If it’s good enough for the city’s business folk to ignore ‘the end is nigh’ warnings, it’s good enough for us.  Here we go with ideas for Melbourne 2185.

A few suggestions to start it off:

1)      The solution to Metro’s problems: Hovercrafts

Robert Zemeckis was a little ahead of his time when he predicted hovercrafts by 2015 in Back to the Future II. Still, it’s a neat idea. Surely 175 years is long enough for Metro to realize that if they want to clear up the overcrowded transport system, sky travel is the way to go.

2)      An end to ‘we are not Sydney’-ism

A recent feature in The Age asked famous Melbournians what they’d give the city as a birthday present. Most said they’d like Melbourne to acknowledge it doesn’t need to be compared to Sydney…and then pointed out why they liked Melbourne better. Enough already!

3)      Free umbrella stands on every street corner

Pick one up when the rain begins and safely drop it off 3 minutes later when the sun comes back out. This is a particularly important point given the already mentioned problem of climate change. We don’t know what the weather is going to throw at us so best be prepared.

Do you have a ‘Melbourne 2185’ vision? Post your comment below or drop us a line on Twitter at #Melbourne2185

Sarah Green is a Master of Global Communications student at La Trobe University and a member of the upstart editorial team.