Albanese government backs Csiro with $387.4 million budget lifeline
The Albanese government will add $387.4 million for csiro in next week’s federal budget, giving the national science agency money over four years for equipment, building upgrades, cyber protection and technology support. Katy Gallagher said the investment gives CSIRO the stability it needs to keep delivering its work and to plan for the future with confidence.
Katy Gallagher on CSIRO
Gallagher, the Finance and Public Service Minister and ACT Labor senator, said CSIRO “does work that matters to Australians every day, from supporting our industries to helping keep our communities safe.” The new funding follows $233 million set aside in the December mid-year economic update and $45 million in last year’s federal budget.
The government will say the package will help the agency meet the longer-term costs of operating critical science and research infrastructure and maintain greater workforce stability. Tim Ayres said publicly funded science was “absolutely critical to the national interest and to solving some of Australia’s biggest challenges,” and added: “I am incredibly focused on backing CSIRO to strengthen the role it plays in making life better for all Australians.”
Redundancies at Black Mountain
The money arrives while CSIRO is slashing 350 roles on top of 800 already culled. The funding is not expected to halt the redundancies already under way, and the agency’s plans to scale back research in areas like environment, health and food have affected morale at its Black Mountain laboratories in Canberra.
David Pocock and the budget
ACT independent senator David Pocock had called for a permanent increase to the CSIRO’s budget allocation, while the Community and Public Sector Union asked for $491 million over three years. The budget will also include an extra $38 million, ongoing from 2030-31, for the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to support stage 2 of the Geelong facility’s modernisation and refurbishment.
For CSIRO staff, the budget offers new spending on facilities and technology, but it does not stop the current job cuts. The immediate effect is more breathing room for the agency’s infrastructure and operations, while the redundancies continue.
