Climate change research affected by poor funding: CPSU
29 June 2009, 12:38pm
The reliability and accuracy of Australia's long-term meteorological forecasting is being threatened by long term under-funding according to the CPSU.
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) workers and CPSU officials appeared at a Parliamentary Inquiry into long-term meteorological forecasting in Australia in Melbourne on 29 June to fight for more funding and resources for the Bureau to carry out this increasingly important service.
CPSU National President Louise Persse says BoM staff have been forced to do more with less for years now.
"The range and quality of services provided by BoM has increased dramatically in the last few years, but lack of funding means there's been no increase in staffing levels.
"This chronic under-resourcing really lowers the quality of essential services provided to the Australian public, such as monitoring and research on climate change" she says.
One BoM forecaster commented in CPSU's submission that BoM observation stations which are vital for the climate record are being de-staffed, affecting the ongoing quality of data collection from those stations.
"The ‘efficiency dividend' threatens the future of research advances that might improve forecasting," said the member.
Ms Persse agrees that the current funding pressures will severely reduce BoM's capacity for innovation.
"With fewer motivated, skilled and experienced employees working at the Bureau, the integrity of its data and its capacity to extract data from climate change monitoring tools will be compromised.
"Climate change is a global issue that affects us all. We want BoM to deliver high quality, efficient, effective and innovative long-term forecasting services to monitor the effects on Australia and the world - and the only way to do this is by providing it with adequate funding," she said.
