Funding and operational issues at the Australian Antarctic Division are having a 'catastrophic' impact on critical research and damaging the organisation's international reputation, a Senate inquiry is told.
Researchers have expressed significant concerns about the impact of budget issues at the Australian Antarctic Division , which has less funding this year than in previous year.The federal government says 42 science projects are proceeding in Antarctica and Australia this season and that the AAD’s budget will increase over the next three years.
"Even if research funding were to be increased, the 'one-ship model' will continue to see science sacrificed to meet pressing logistics needs," it said.Researcher fears 'lost generation' of scientists "But instead, we are left to speculate with limited observations from satellites and relying on data collected by other nations."Dr Corney described the budget situation as "catastrophic", saying it had reduced the ability of Australia’s research community to directly observe the rapid changes taking place in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
"In our professional opinion, we believe this will have immediate near-term implications on research and observational capacity, with disastrous long-term impacts that are expected to damage Australia's global reputation as a leader in Southern Ocean and Antarctic studies, knowledge and applied skills," they said.
It said the reduction was largely due to the end of additional funding for the commissioning of the RSV Nuyina, as well as savings on consultants, legal fees, and travel. "The [AAD] works closely with the scientific community to develop multiple contingencies and multi-year projects to ensure that prioritised science activities are supported within the given constraints on a season-by-season basis," it said.
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