AUSTRALIA will close and demolish its scientific research station on Macquarie Island after 68 years of continuous operation, the Australian Antarctic Division announced today.
The 35km-long World Heritage-listed subantarctic island island lies midway between Hobart and Antarctica and is one of four permanent bases operated by the Antarctic Division.
The announcement was greeted with alarm by the Tasmanian Government.
AAD director Nick Gales said Australia’s permanent scientific presence on the island would cease in March next year and be replaced by summer-only expeditions.
“Like all major and difficult decisions there is a mix of things, budget is of course a part of it, “ he said.
“We don’t operate in an unconstrained budget environment ... but the decision is broader than just budget.
He said the division hoped it would be able to minimise the impact of the closure on scientific programs, including those conducted by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
“Most of the priority science that happens on Macquarie Island and has happened for a very long time can continue, we’re able to support that.
“There are some long-term elements of long-term monitoring: some of the weather observations conducted by the (weather) bureau, some of the other long-term monitoring projects that require people on the island all year round will be impacted.”
Dr Gales said the infrastructure on the island reaching the end of its useful life and the pullout represented a chance to allow the island return to a more natural state.
Staff who had been hired for the next winter season will be redeployed, he said.
Premier Will Hodgman found out about the decision today.
“Today’s announcement regarding AAD’s research program on Macquarie Island is extremely disappointing,” he said.
“We will be raising this issue directly with the Federal Government.”
Former AAD director Tony Press wrote 20 Year Australian Antarctic Strategic Plan which was released two years ago.
“The costs of maintaining something that is outside the core business of the Antarctic Division has finally caught up,” he said.
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson was critical of the announcement.
“Successive budget cuts, year after year, to the Australian Antarctic Division has clearly led to some bases like Macquarie Island falling into disrepair and this will have contributed to them making a snap decision to close the base,” he said.
Labor Senator Lisa Singh also condemned the decision.
“The Turnbull Government have cut funding to the CSIRO and Cooperative Research Centres, and now they’ve cut the budget for the AAD,” she said.
“Science in Australia is suffering the death of a 1000 cuts under this Turnbull Government.”
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