Australia's premier scientific research organisation has confirmed plans to eliminate hundreds of positions in what unions describe as the worst cuts the CSIRO has ever seen.
Substantial Job Losses Announced
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) revealed on Tuesday that it will cut between 300 and 350 additional research roles starting next year. This latest round of redundancies follows previous job losses implemented earlier this year and throughout last year.
During a town hall meeting with staff, agency leaders outlined the challenging financial circumstances driving these cuts. The organisation faces significant budgetary shortfalls and is seeking to identify between $80 million and $135 million annually to address its ageing infrastructure.
Property Portfolio and Research Priorities
A substantial factor in the financial pressure is CSIRO's extensive property portfolio, with approximately 80% of its 800 properties nearing the end of their life cycles. The required renovations represent a major financial burden.
In a official statement, CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton said these difficult changes would position the organisation for the decades ahead with a sharpened research focus. He emphasised the need to concentrate on profound challenges we face as a nation.
The restructuring will involve deprioritising certain research areas based on an updated statement of expectations from the minister. Guardian Australia reports that the health and biosecurity, agriculture and food, and environment research units will be particularly affected by the latest job losses.
Strong Reactions from Science Community
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from staff representatives and scientific bodies. CSIRO staff association secretary Susan Tonks called it a very sad day for publicly funded science in this country.
In a striking comparison, Tonks noted that the cuts under the current Albanese government now exceed those made under the previous Abbott Coalition government - reductions that Labor MPs had strongly criticised at the time.
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) described the news as disheartening for the research community and the Australian economy. President Dr Katherine Woodthorpe highlighted that CSIRO delivers a three-fold economic benefit for every dollar invested over time.
Dr Woodthorpe attributed the cuts to an ongoing erosion of funding for government-funded research agencies, creating an incredibly tough time for Australia's research community at a moment when investment in science and technology should be increasing.
