Rate My Professor Stuart Robertson

Dr. Stuart Robertson is a Lecturer in Community Services and Course Coordinator for Community Services Programs in the School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, at the University of New England. He holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) and a PhD from the University of New England, awarded in 2016. His doctoral thesis, "Mine Lifecycle Planning and Enduring Value for Remote Communities," analyzed case studies of remote South Australian mining towns Leigh Creek and Roxby Downs. The research examined dependencies between mining communities and their hinterlands, workforce mobility impacts, social infrastructure, and the need for economic diversification and normalized governance to ensure post-mining viability.

Robertson brings extensive practical experience from the community services sector, encompassing direct care roles, community development, case management in disability and child protection, and leadership of Local Area Coordination under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. He teaches units including HLTH101 Information and Evidence in Health and Social Care, HLTH104 The Context of the Health and Community Services, HSSW168 Responding to Disability and Ageing, HLTH201 Community Services Fieldwork 1, HLTH301 Community Services Fieldwork 2, HLTH305 Special Topic in Health and Social Care, and HLTH310/510 Foundations for Mental Health Practice. His research focuses on service delivery in regional and remote Australia, community adaptations to service changes, and NDIS effects on service providers, families, and people with disabilities. Key publications include Robertson, S., Blackwell, B., & McFarlane, J. (2017). "The viability of remote mining communities: insights from community perceptions and employment impact assessments," Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 35(4), 310-324; Blackwell, B.D., & Robertson, S. (2016). "Enduring value for remote communities from mining: Synthesising production, employment, populations, and reform opportunities," Learning Communities: International Journal of Adult and Vocational Learning, 19, 116-147; Robertson, S., & Blackwell, B. (2015). "Remote Mining Towns on the Rangelands: Determining Dependency within the Hinterland," The Rangeland Journal, 37(6), 583-596; Robertson, S., & Blackwell, B. (2014). "Mine lifecycle planning and enduring value for remote communities," International Journal of Rural Law and Policy, (1); and Robertson, S., & Argent, N. (2016). "The potential value of lifecycle planning for resource communities..." in F. McKenzie (Ed.), Labour force mobility in the Australian resources industry. A full member of the Australian Community Workers Association, Robertson contributes to ethical research as a member of the Human Research Ethics Committee.