Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Before moving general business notice of motion No. 589, I ask that the names of Senators Bilyk, Brown, Polley and Urquhart be added to the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senators Rice, Bilyk, Brown, Polley and Urquhart, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) in August 2017, the Department of the Environment and Energy commissioned Mr Drew Clarke AO PSM FTSE to undertake a review of the governance arrangements supporting the Australian Antarctic Science Program and to provide advice on a new governance model (the Clarke Review),

(ii) in December 2017, the Clarke Review recommended institutionalising long-term collaborative science and ensuring coherent science leadership,

(iii) in April 2020, the Federal Government announced $56 million for a new Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative in Excellence in Antarctic Science,

(iv) the University of Tasmania will receive $20 million over three years, a figure significantly lower than expected and which does not support a clear, long-term scientific research agenda for Australia's Antarctic and Southern Ocean science programs,

(v) Tasmania is recognised as Australia's Antarctic gateway and is a global hub for Antarctic science, and

(vi) long-term monitoring and research is critical to climate science, in particular, to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean, having a significant impact on the global climate system; and 

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) increase overall investment in climate science research capability,

(ii) adopt a funding scheme that supports a clear, long-term scientific research agenda,

(iii) act on the Clarke Review recommendations, and

(iv) immediately provide funding certainty and continuity to Southern Ocean, Antarctic and climate research.