THURSDAY February 11 …
Senate Estimates. # of Hobart Staff potentially affected by CSIRO cuts: Link here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5RoCMCH92A&feature=youtu.be
The CSIRO’s climate science divisions are expected to be pared back as part of a massive shake-up of the organisation.
The ABC understands cuts are expected to be made within the Oceans and Atmosphere and Land and Water divisions and up to 350 positions in the organisation will change.
The organisation will attempt to redeploy as many staff as possible into emerging areas such as data science, but there are likely to be redundancies in the process.
CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall said the changes would see the organisation move away from measuring and monitoring climate change, to instead focus on how to adapt to it.
“It’s inevitable that people who are gifted at measuring and modelling climate may not be the same people who are gifted at figuring out what to do about it how to mitigate it,” he said.
“Some of the climate scientists will be able to make that transition and some won’t.”
Dr Marshall said the shake-up was about renewal for the organisation and addressing the low turnover rates of staff.
“On the good side that means people love working for CSIRO but on the bad side most companies have much higher turnover than we do,” he said.
The good thing about turnover is it creates a career path for junior scientists to aspire to.
In a statement, a spokesman for Science Minister Christopher Pyne said:
• Peter Whish-Wilson, Adam Bandt in Comments …
• Keith Antonysen in Comments: … The science has been settled on the basis we know climate change is impacting, we don’t know exactly how in various areas. For example, the Far North is seen to be an area to be developed by the LNP, it might not be inhabital in decades to come. Vast sums could be squandered on building infrastruction. The process has been exceptionally poorly executed and the question arises; should Larry Marshall continue in his position? He was appointed in 2014 by the Abbott government.
