Fears that some of Australia's most important climate research institutions will be gutted by the Turnbull government have been realised with deep job cuts for scientists to be announced to staff later today.
Fairfax Media has learnt that as many as 110 positions in the Oceans and Atmosphere division will go, with a similarly sharp reduction in the Land and Water division. It's a catastrophic reduction in our capacity to assess present and future climate change
The cuts were flagged in November, just a week before the Paris climate summit began, with key divisions told to prepare lists of job cuts or to find new ways to raise revenue.
"Climate will be all gone, basically," said one senior scientist, before the announcement. "We understand both the Prime Minister and Christopher Pyne have signed off on the cuts."
A spokesman for the CSIRO said the organisation would comment later today. "We will not be commenting until staff have been told of any proposed changes and consulted on how they may be affected," he said.
It is understood just 30 staff will be left in the Oceans and Atmosphere unit and they will not be working on climate issues. Another senior scientist, aware of the planned announcement, said staff would be shocked by the news that basic climate science including much of the monitoring of changes in the southern hemisphere would be gutted.
"There'll be disappointment, anger," he said, adding that Australia's counterparts would also respond "with shock and horror".
Australia, with its already variable climate, has seen average temperatures rise about 1 degree over the past century. Heatwaves are also increasing in intensity and frequency, as are the number of high fire danger days, according research by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Understanding how bushfires and other perils will change with global warming will be undermined by the cuts, scientists say.
Fairfax Media has sought comment from Mr Pyne's office and also Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Doubts also remain over the CSIRO's on-going role as coordinator of the new National Environmental Science Program, which comes under Mr Hunt's office.
Some 16 full-time staff from CSIRO will be assigned to the program, which was set up to house remaining climate science and other environmental science divisions that had suffered deep cuts during the Abbott government.
It is understood the IMOS - or Integrated Marine Observing System - will be maintained with "some remnants" of climate work remaining in Hobart, one scientist said.
The scientist said the cuts to climate research were part of a pattern of environmental science cutbacks across many fields.
'Jaw-droppingly shocking'
Andy Pitman, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science at the University of NSW, said the scale of the cuts was "jaw-droppingly shocking".
"It's a catastrophic reduction in our capacity to assess present and future climate change," Professor Pitman said. "It will leave us vulnerable to future climate change and unable to take advantage of any positives that result."
The impact will extend not just to the science being conducted in and around Australia but also to the ability of the country to retain and attract scientists, he said.
"They will focus on North American and European problems [when they go], not Australia's, Professor Pitman said.
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Fairfax Media has learnt that as many as 110 positions in the Oceans and Atmosphere division will go, with a similarly sharp reduction in the Land and Water division. It's a catastrophic reduction in our capacity to assess present and future climate change
The cuts were flagged in November, just a week before the Paris climate summit began, with key divisions told to prepare lists of job cuts or to find new ways to raise revenue.
"Climate will be all gone, basically," said one senior scientist, before the announcement. "We understand both the Prime Minister and Christopher Pyne have signed off on the cuts."
A spokesman for the CSIRO said the organisation would comment later today. "We will not be commenting until staff have been told of any proposed changes and consulted on how they may be affected," he said.
It is understood just 30 staff will be left in the Oceans and Atmosphere unit and they will not be working on climate issues. Another senior scientist, aware of the planned announcement, said staff would be shocked by the news that basic climate science including much of the monitoring of changes in the southern hemisphere would be gutted.
"There'll be disappointment, anger," he said, adding that Australia's counterparts would also respond "with shock and horror".
Australia, with its already variable climate, has seen average temperatures rise about 1 degree over the past century. Heatwaves are also increasing in intensity and frequency, as are the number of high fire danger days, according research by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Understanding how bushfires and other perils will change with global warming will be undermined by the cuts, scientists say.
Fairfax Media has sought comment from Mr Pyne's office and also Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Doubts also remain over the CSIRO's on-going role as coordinator of the new National Environmental Science Program, which comes under Mr Hunt's office.
Some 16 full-time staff from CSIRO will be assigned to the program, which was set up to house remaining climate science and other environmental science divisions that had suffered deep cuts during the Abbott government.
It is understood the IMOS - or Integrated Marine Observing System - will be maintained with "some remnants" of climate work remaining in Hobart, one scientist said.
The scientist said the cuts to climate research were part of a pattern of environmental science cutbacks across many fields.
'Jaw-droppingly shocking'
Andy Pitman, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science at the University of NSW, said the scale of the cuts was "jaw-droppingly shocking".
"It's a catastrophic reduction in our capacity to assess present and future climate change," Professor Pitman said. "It will leave us vulnerable to future climate change and unable to take advantage of any positives that result."
The impact will extend not just to the science being conducted in and around Australia but also to the ability of the country to retain and attract scientists, he said.
"They will focus on North American and European problems [when they go], not Australia's, Professor Pitman said.
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