“It’s a new Government and we’re laying out a direction that climate science matters”.
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In February of this year, then-Science Minister Christopher Pine announced that the CSIRO would no longer be collecting data on climate change, turning their efforts to researching how to mitigate climate change.
Mr Hunt said both he and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have directed the organisation to make climate science a core component of its work.
Hunt, who was environment minister for a decade before moving to the science portfolio after last month’s national elections, said 15 new jobs would be created and Aus$37 million (US$28 million) injected into climate research at CSIRO over the next decade.
“But I’m not clear whether the 15 new positions that Minister Hunt announced are in addition to reinstating all of the earlier ones, or whether they only partially reinstate what has already been damaged”.
Dr Finkel said in February he only learned of the cuts when they were made public, and told Senate estimates that “Australia needs a continuous and highly effective commitment to climate science, both to meet our national needs and to fulfil our worldwide commitments”.
The next three months will see the new strategy unfold, which includes 40 jobs at a new climate change centre in Hobart.
As reported by the ABC, the new jobs (which increase the number of climate scientists in the CSIRO from 100 to 115) plus “additional support” will cost $3.7 million a year.
CSIRO’s chief executive Larry Marshall announced earlier this year that 275 roles would be cut from the national science body, including 75 in the oceans and atmosphere division and 70 in the land and water section.
Some voluntary redundancies have been taken by CSIRO staff but the exact makeup of the cuts remains unclear.
In the grand scheme of things the announcement by Mr Hunt is modest, but for many it’s a step in the right direction.
Mr Finkel said he welcomed the renewed support to strengthen Australia’s climate science abilities.
Given Mr Turnbull’s track record on climate change, many commentators wondered what his return to the leadership would mean for the area of scientific inquiry.
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Larry Marshall, the new CEO of CSIRO, speaks to Kohler, Gottliebsen and Bartholomeusz about the challenges the science body faces in implementing budget cuts.
