|
Science Policy and Media Releases
CSIRO Staff Association/CPSU Media Release
Tuesday 9th March 2010
Government Science Under Threat
Blue Water Discovery - August 2009
 Dr Michael Borgas, President CSIRO Staff Association
On 7th August 2009 Dr Michael Borgas and Sam Popovski attended the launch of a major 'blue water' research-vessel project by CSIRO's staff and Government. Dr Borgas wrote the following article on the event..more
CSIRO Staff Association Budget Media Release - May 2009
 (.pdf 65kb)
Media Release - May 2009
Staff welcome funding boost to CSIRO research and infrastructure, The CSIRO Staff Association has welcomed enhanced funding for CSIRO, the Anglo-Australian Observatory and the National Measurement Institute in the 2009 Federal Budget. For further info please click the image above or here
Black Friday - National Day of Protest
The CSIRO Staff Association has called for a National Day of Action in response to the mismanagement of budget cuts, the undue haste to close regional laboratories and the stalled negotiatins for a new enterprise agreement. media release (.pdf 35k)
CSIRO's mismanagement of Budget cuts slaughters food research
The CSIRO Staff Association has expressed major concerns over a CSIRO lan to close two laboratories crucial to Australia's food quality and security. As a result of Federal Budget cuts, CSIRO has announced the closure of the Merbein Laboratory near Mildura, and the JM Rendell Laboratory in Rockhampton. media release (pdf 40kb)
The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, announced a wide ranging review of Australia's national innovation system in January this year. The Review is being conducted by an Expert Panel chaired by current CSIRO Board member Terry Cutler, and includes past Chair of the CSIRO Board Catherine Livingstone and Commonwealth Chief Scientist Jim Peacock. more
Combined with the quadrennial funding announcement and earlier Flagships funding announcements, CSIRO will be the recipient of $2801million over the next four years, following the Federal Budget announcement of 8 May 2007. The overall gain for CSIRO is around 5.6% per annum. This is a very good result indeed as compared with past history. We are looking forward very much to staffing actually increasing without more senior staff being paid off to make way for new blood. And to a resurgence of new projects. It has been a great credit to staff that they have continued to be productive in the face of the tough times that CSIRO has been through for many years.
The Association's public response to the Budget, however, has been relatively muted. Taken in the wider context, the Government had a very big surplus to share around and should be investing heavily in a wide range of R&D to meet major global challenges of climate change and energy. These issues will impact on all industries as well as the community, so all industries need R&D support to innovate. Our expert members have been advocating wide ranging research, as we don't know what will work out best for the nation (or the globe, for that matter). The Stern Report called for a global doubling of R&D to combat climate change.
The Budget has picked up on CSIRO research that the public wants solar energy. While they have handed out the $8000 subsidies for solar panels, they have not made special provision for solar energy or other renewable energy research to be ramped up (other than biofuels). This does not give confidence that the Government has any long term strategy other than a possible carbon trading scheme and nuclear power.
Our information is also that the national R&D spend is at less than 0.6% of GDP and as such is the lowest proportion of GDP in the past 20 years. So the Government doesn't look so generous.
It is natural for the CEO to want to claim a record success with the Budget - the result is after all a reflection on his performance. This is in fact a modest result in the circumstances that will leave many parts of the Organisation still languishing. But we will accept it with pleasure.
Well done to all who contributed to the effort, including those no longer in CSIRO Read Media Release
The new funding agreement for CSIRO fails the national interest in the face of national and global challenges such as climate change, according to the CSIRO Staff Association. Read media release.
It is very unusual for the Staff Association to make comment on parliamentary portfolios other than when a new Minister may be appointed by the Government. The ALP this week created a shadow ministry that brings together science research innovation and industry into one - the Staff Association has argued the view that science should be linked with industry policy. Read what President Michael Borgas has to say about this significant move.
The CSIRO Staff Association has put forward a submission to the Preferred Model Proposal of the Research Quality Framework. We welcome any comments and feedback you may have on the submission or the Research Quality Framework. more (doc 46k)
The Role of Creativity at CSIRO and the Public Sector Science Agencies - August 2005
How are creativity and innovation encouraged at CSIRO and the public sector science agencies? This discussion paper considers the importance of creativity and innovation to scientific excellence. We would appreciate your comments on creativity in your work and any constraints you are finding at CSIRO. more
Federal Election Campaign - Science For Society - August 2004
Your CSIRO Staff Association delegates in NSW are coordinating a campaign to raise awareness of science and its value to Australian communities with candidates in the Federal Election. We are also seeking responses to some specific policy questions and aiming to build links between current and future MPs. more
2004 budget and Backing Australia's Ability - May 2004
Backing Australia's Ability Mark II, the government's package on Science and Innovation was announced on Thursday 7 May 2004. CSIRO would appear to be a significant beneficiary this time around, having been pretty much forgotten by the initiatives in the 2001 Backing Australia's Ability Mark I. With the BAAII announcement, the Government has recognised that government research is important to Australia and has at last brought CSIRO back into the fold as a valued member of the Australian research community. But the real value of the package directly to CSIRO is not yet clear. more
Research package must produce for the public interest - May 2004
Unions representing research staff in the CSIRO and public universities believe the Government’s upcoming science and innovation package must produce results on number of key threshold issues, including injecting sufficient funding to arrest Australia’s decline in R&D spending relative to our OECD competitors. more
Science and technology has had a huge impact on the Australian way of life – the environment we live in, how we do work, the type of work we do, our recreation, even our culture and how we see the world around us. Opinion by Dr Micheal Borgas, President of the CSIRO Staff Association. more
Research Collaboration Review - March 2004
The Review recommends: co-locate laboratories with other research providers (read universities) as a default in any major infrastructure changes; phase out triennial funding for CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS; reduce (unspecified) their block appropriation funding to only cover core functions; set up a Collaboration Fund to provide contestable funding for Centres of Excellence which would be open to all comers. more
|
|
