The following statement can be attributed to Science & Technology Australia CEO Ryan Winn.
“Today’s job cuts to CSIRO’s Environment Research Unit, including critical climate modelling staff, are a very worrying development but, sadly they were expected.
New funding for CSIRO announced in the Federal Budget was never going to save these jobs. It will be used to pay for infrastructure, like buildings and research equipment.
The climate modelling done by CSIRO and ACCESS-NRI contribute to global climate models. Australia is the only country in the southern hemisphere contributing to these models.
There is no guarantee that other areas in the research system can pick up this work. No Government agency has a clear mandate to fund this necessary climate modelling. There is an expectation it’ll just get done.
Other climate research being done relies on short-term grants and does not have the certainty of funding to contribute to decades long projects that underpin global climate models and predictions.
We have a national – and regional – responsibility to maintain this role. If there is no funding found to continue this crucial capability, it could have devastating effects for a range of research organisations and advisory agencies that rely on this data.
That scientific data underpins information used to manage food production and keep the cost of living down. It’s our best defence against devastating floods and bushfires, which is sending the cost of insurance through the roof.
And there will be flow-on effects for Australia and our Pacific neighbours’ ability to predict, adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change. This climate data is also crucial for decision-making in business. Decisions that drive our economy.
Ultimately, this could leave Australia and our region more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and decision-makers without the tools required to chart a resilient and prosperous future.”
Media contact: Paul Richards – media@sta.org.au or 0412 145 905
