Australian Antarctic Division: Staff write to federal government urging it to abandon planned budget cuts

Nearly half the staff at the Australian Antarctic Division have signed an open letter demanding the federal government abandon planned budget cuts, warning of potentially devastating consequences.

Antarctic research vessel RSV Nuyina docked at MAC 2. Picture: Chris Kidd

Almost half the staff at the Australian Antarctic Division have signed an open letter urging the federal government to scrap “severe budget cuts” they say will have “a significant impact on our ability to deliver scientific outcomes”.

The August 21 letter, addressed to Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water secretary David Fredericks, warned that the $25m reduction in the Australian Antarctic Division’s (AAD) operating budget in the next financial year would limit the agency’s ability to “maintain our Antarctic and subantarctic operations” and would be a blow to workplace morale.

“All of this is happening at a time of major upheaval in the world due to human-induced climate change,” the letter reads.

Nuyina Antarctic research vessel arrives at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“Antarctic sea ice is at a record low. Rising temperatures and variability in weather patterns such as the El Niño are wreaking havoc on natural systems both here and in the Antarctic.

“Australia and the world can least afford these drastic cuts to our scientific programs.”

The signatories to the letter called on the department to provide adequate funding to complete a recruitment process for 40 scientific positions and asked for a guarantee that staff on short-term contracts would have their positions “fairly assessed” and be rehired as ongoing staff where their work was deemed “essential”.

They also demanded that contingency funds be set aside “should alternative shipping or logistics to maintain the [Antarctic] stations be required” and pressed for a “clear and transparent explanation” regarding the funding shortfall.

Australian Antarctic Division at Kingston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The AAD last year received an $802m funding lifeline under the former Coalition government but has since determined it needs to find $25m in savings.

Community and Public Sector Union deputy secretary Beth Vincent-Pietsch said union members had been raising concerns about “the diminishing capacity of the AAD’s core work for many years”.

“Recently the planned recruitment of 40 new science positions provided a glimmer of hope that quickly turned to disappointment as recruitment processes were put on hold and a 16 per cent budget cut was announced,” she said.

David Fredericks, Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water secretary. Source: Department of Finance

“This has understandably angered many of the staff in the AAD who care deeply about the work of the division and were hoping that this funding would see things head in a new direction.”

An AAD spokesman said Mr Fredericks had received the letter from division staff and would formally respond this week.

“We continue to engage with our people about our internal budget management,” the spokesman said.

“There will be no job cuts.”