Agmates Editor Steve Truman writes:
The biggest story in the bush this week. Kevin Rudd and his Labor Government have broken a key election promise made to Rural Australia.
LABOR’S election promise to “revitalise” the CSIRO has actually turned out to be $63 million worth of cuts over the next four years, resulting in 100 full time research 100 jobs being lost and the closure of four research laboratories and other rationalisations.
Two Livestock Industries research labs will be closed. A small one in Western Australia (2 staff) and Australia’s and the Southern Hemisphere’s leading Livestock research facility in Rockhampton Queensland (35 staff).
Closures include one of Australia’s leading Horticulture research Facilities at Merbein near Mildura , in Victoria (50 staff), and a forest biosciences lab at Cooroy, in southeast Queensland.
The Textiles and Fibre and materials science divisions will also be merged to reduce costs.
Increasing resources of the CSIRO was a central plank in Labor’s innovation policy in last year’s election campaign to underpin future productivity and economic growth.
Labor’s election blueprint claimed the CSIRO had been under-resourced under the Howard government and faced an infrastructure crisis resulting in a loss of research skills and a contraction in job security.
The president of the CSIRO Staff Association, Dr Michael Borgas speaking about the closures said:
“The significant research at Merbein (VIC) had been work on dried fruit. Virtually the entire Australian dried-grape industry relied on CSIRO clones and varieties. Research on light mechanical pruning at Merbein had helped the wine industry reduce costs while retaining and improving yield and quality.
The closures are lazy, knee-jerk management. If Australia is to meet the many challenges we face in relation to global warming, water and food security and quality, we should be boosting - not cutting - support for the CSIRO.”
AgForce Policy Director Oscar Pearce told us that AgForce was not consulted prior to the announcement on Wednesday the 21st on May. AgForce is very concerned about the ramifications of the closure of The Rendell Laboratory complex in Rockhampton QLD.
The complex was opened in April 1981 and is the largest covered animal research facility in the Southern Hemisphere.
AgForce Cattle president Greg Brown had this to say;
“We believe this research capability is crucial if agricultural emissions research is to be effective. The facility includes gas-exchange respiration chambers and 18 metabolic crates for detailed physiology and biochemical measurements on cattle.
The Rendell Laboratory also has two climate-controlled rooms, enabling the study of animals under laboratory-controlled tropical conditions, meaning the research carried out in central Queensland has implications for many other extensive beef-producing areas.
In the context of agriculture adapting to a changing climate and facing pressure to reduce its emissions profile, we think it is critical that climate change research is continued.
We are surprised and disappointed that industry was not consulted prior to today’s announcement given that a major refit, including two laboratories and equipment rooms costing more than $3 million, was completed in 2006 and less than two years later this money will be wasted if the labs are sold.
Agricultural innovation and the use of new technologies in food production are vital if we are to meet increasing world demand for food, and for domestic consumers to avoid further inflationary pressures on food purchases.
Increasing productivity and profitability in rural industries, especially food industries, is the only way that consumers will gain relief from elevated food prices, and this productivity relies on world-leading science. Rendell has been a centre for such research - the major question now is how that can be continued.”
Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell on his Blog site had this to say:
“The JM Rendell Laboratory (at Rockhampton) provides vital research for Queensland’s $3 Billion beef industry through its work in genetics, nutrition and the interaction of livestock with the environment.
Coalition Governments have kept this facility open and the Rudd Government’s first budget has closed it down.
This closure now has the potential to throw into question the role of the Belmont Research Station that has operated for 55 years and is run by the Rockhampton CSIRO.
Labor Member for Rockhampton Kirsten Livermore can no longer shirk her responsibilities; it was her government’s budget cuts that closed this facility and she has done nothing to stop it.
Rockhampton is the Beef Capital of Australia and so it is logical that a world class beef research unit be based there, close to the industry it services.
This is yet another blow to Central Queensland with the loss of at least 7 Regional Partnerships projects, 4 Small Business Field Officers and now 27 staff from a beef industry laboratory.”
Greens Senate Leader Christine Milne said cutting research funding should be a last resort. She had this to say:
“At a time when we need to boost our know-how and productivity, the Rudd government is taking us backwards.
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It is very clear that countries that prosper are those that regard innovation as critical to their development.”
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