For years, the agency has been grappling with the challenge of maintaining its extensive array of programs and a sizeable workforce. Chief Executive Doug Hilton has announced that the organization must pivot to find the right balance, which necessitates a strategic shift in focus.

This refined focus, however, comes at a cost. Some research endeavors will need to be deprioritized, leading to a reduction in staff as the agency redirects its efforts. Over the last year and a half, the organization has already seen 818 positions eliminated, a reduction that Susan Tonks, secretary of the CSIRO Staff Association, claims exceeds the cuts experienced during the Abbott government era.

In related developments, a notable finding by CSIRO highlights Australia’s progress in reducing plastic packaging pollution along its coastlines. This achievement underscores the agency’s ongoing commitment to addressing environmental challenges, even amid organizational restructuring.

Over the past 18 months, 818 jobs have been cut from the agency, which CSIRO Staff Association secretary Susan Tonks said were deeper than the Abbott government-era cuts.