Petition launched, politicians wade in as science agency picks tech over people
Reactions have begun to pour in after the national science agency announced hundreds of job cuts as it looks to invest $80-135 million into technology instead.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has announced it is going to cut up to 350 full-time employees from its research units in what it is calling a bid to sharpen focus.
The CSIRO Staff Association responded to the job cut announcement, describing the move as “deep and devastating”.
According to the union, over 800 research and science support roles have been cut in the past 18 months.
The CSIRO employs around 5,800 staff, which means this latest round of cuts makes up 6% of its total workforce. The Environment Research Unit will lose 150 staff, 20% of the unit’s total.
The CSIRO Staff Association has called upon the Federal Government to provide the funding needed to halt these cuts and “secure the vital work of our national science agency.”
“This is a very sad day for publicly funded science in this country, and the Albanese Government is just sitting back and watching it happen,” said CSIRO Staff Association section secretary, Susan Tonks.
“They are now responsible for cuts to public science that exceed the Abbott Government – cuts that current Labor MPs rightly slammed at the time.”
Tonks said these cuts are the “worst the CSIRO has ever seen” and they’re coming at a time where public science should be invested in more heavily.
“CSIRO undertakes incredibly important work that benefits Australian families, communities, and the world. Our scientists are protecting crops from disease, building national resilience in the face of a changing climate, strengthening our defences against biosecurity risks, and driving innovation in health and technology,” Tonks said.
“We don’t need a crystal ball to know these cuts will hurt – they’ll hurt families, farmers and our future.”
Labor MP Ed Husic called upon his own government to allocate funding to the CSIRO, despite overseeing previous cuts as the former science minister.
“If you do value science, you need to stop looking at science and research as a cost, and see it as an investment in the future, wellbeing and capability of the country,” said Husic.
“I think that the task at hand is to roll up the sleeves, get out the jar of gumption and pry open the jaws of Treasury to make sure that our national science agency is funded in the way that will be good for the country into the long term. If you want to find the money, you can find it.”
Opposition against the move is strong, with independent senator David Pockock starting a petition to “save the CSIRO”.
‘Difficult but necessary’
In a statement, the CSIRO said it had reached an “inflection point” and there was a necessity to adapt to balance research with capability and infrastructure.
“These are difficult but necessary changes to safeguard our national science agency so we can continue solving the challenges that matter to Australia and Australians,” commented CSIRO CEO, Doug Hilton.
Hilton noted that rising cost pressures played heavily into the decision, compounded by a “really profound sustainability challenge” that he said has been building for over 40 years.
"What's happened over 15 years is the value of the appropriation that we get, the money we get from the government in the budget each year, has gone up by about 1.3%," Hilton said.
"The cost of living has gone up by about 2.7% on average each year. And the cost of science has gone up much, much more than that."
Coinciding with the job cuts announcement are plans to invest between $80 and $135 million each year over the next 10 years into “essential infrastructure and technology.”
This ranges from cyber security upgrades to repairs and maintenance, technology, and research equipment.
“CSIRO’s reason for being is to deliver the greatest possible impact for the nation through our research,” Hilton said.
“As today’s stewards of CSIRO, we have a responsibility to make decisions that ensure we can continue to deliver science that improves the lives of all Australians for generations to come.
“We must set up CSIRO for the decades ahead with a sharpened research focus that capitalises on our unique strengths, allows us to concentrate on the profound challenges we face as a nation and deliver solutions at scale.”
Staff are being communicated with through the job cut process. The agency has also been in talks with the CSIRO Staff Association – the organisation that represents the industrial and professional interests of the CSIRO.
