Fears for Australia’s climate change adaptability as CSIRO cuts over 90 environment research jobs

Australia’s national science agency has announced 92 jobs will be cut from its Environment Research Unit, which includes climate modelling staff. 

The CSIRO, which has already seen over 800 positions slashed in the past two years, announced further cuts in November, saying up to 350 full-time equivalent positions needed to go to address rising costs.

Today, staff were informed about the details of 92 of those positions.

In a statement, a CSIRO spokesperson said the agency was making strategic research shifts to focus its efforts on where it could “deliver the greatest national impact”.

“To achieve this sharpened focus, we are exiting research where we lack scale to achieve significant impact, or areas where others in the sector are better placed to deliver,” the spokesperson said.

“CSIRO will retain its climate science capability and continue to provide the data, models and scenarios needed to support decision-making in Australia and internationally.”

They said the 92 job cuts from the Environmental Research Unit had been reduced from the 102 on the chopping block in the agency’s original change proposal in response to consultation feedback.

“The changes reinforce our unique capabilities and national leadership in freshwater, marine, climate and adaptation science, circularity and social sciences.”

But in a statement, Science and Technology Australia CEO Ryan Winn said there was no assurance the global climate modelling work done by CSIRO and ACCESS-NRI would be picked up by other areas of the research system.

“Australia is the only country in the southern hemisphere contributing to these models,” Mr Winn said.

“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.”

Mr Winn said failing to provide that climate modelling could have “devastating effects” for research organisations and advisory agencies that rely on the data.

“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.

“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.”