Fears of job cuts in CSIRO's key climate research division have been realised. Credit:CSIRO Roger Jones, a former CSIRO scientist now at Victoria University, said the funding cull had been launched under former PM Tony Abbott and there was still time for Mr Turnbull to change course: "It's inviting a captain's call". "Australia has been one of the major contributors of science to the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] over the past 20 years," Dr Jones said. "Current levels of research have been taken to where it's unsustainable." Existing programs were already due for deep cuts when the Australian Climate Change Science Program ends in June. "It will be tough," said one senior researcher whose team has already had its funding cut by half. "It's before any further cutbacks." All at sea

CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall: "The reality is some people are really resistant to change and some people embrace it." Credit:Dallas Kilponen Scientists say existing research is already struggling. For instance, CSIRO's new research vessel, the $120 million RV Investigator, can only go to sea for 180 days a year because of funding limits. It has also been hired out to energy giants BP and Chevron seeking to explore for oil and gas. "International partners are gobsmacked" by shortfalls that meant CSIRO was almost unable to pay for satellite time earlier this year, another senior scientist said. "We have millions of dollars of equipment out there, and we'd have no way to call home," the researcher said. "The ride is getting wilder and the boat is getting smaller." Sam Popovski​, secretary of the CSIRO Staff Association, said further cuts to climate research would send "mixed signals from the government" at the Paris climate summit Mr Turnbull is due to address on Monday.

The ride is getting wilder and the boat is getting smaller. Senior CSIRO scientist "These particular areas of CSIRO could be on the cards for more cuts at a time when we're signing up for important action on climate change." Industry Minister Christopher Pyne's office referred questions to CSIRO. Fairfax Media also sought comments from Mr Turnbull. 'Deep Dive' A spokesman for CSIRO said that with the planning process incomplete, it would be inappropriate to comment on specifics.

"This is the first opportunity for business units within CSIRO to align their strategies with the overall CSIRO [Australia Innovation Catalyst Strategy 2020]," the spokesman said. "At the core of the strategy is the need for CSIRO to be a catalyst for change and growth in the innovation system in Australia and to collaborate across disciplines, sectors, science and business." The staff memo, though, outlines the need to "look at viable scenarios" as part of a "Deep Dive". "Whilst the focus is on developing new opportunities, it will be critical that we endeavour to reduce the cost side of our business," Dr Lee said. A range of staff programs will be axed. Scientists both inside and outside CSIRO stressed that much of research – such as climate modelling, and the analysis of the changing chemistry of the air and oceans – was by its nature a public interest issue that was unlikely to turn a profit.

"We are a scientific organisation – we do science, we are not entrepreneurs," another senior researcher said. "[It's] a national security issue. If we don't know our climate – who is going to?" Several scientists said many talented staff had already left either the industry or Australia, or were planning to. "What I think is long-term catastrophic as they have largely lost their next generation of researchers – the next generation of [sea-level expert] John Churchs or [the late Global Carbon Project leader and academic] Mike Raupachs, and that is deeply worrisome," said Andy Pitman, director of climate science research at the University of UNSW. 'Not pulling our weight' Labor's climate spokesman Mark Butler said CSIRO had cut 1400 jobs since the Coalition took office in 2013, undermining Australia's ability to tackle climate change through research into fields such as carbon capture and storage and energy efficiency.

"In order to reduce our emissions it is crucial that we move to cleaner, more efficient energy sources, [and] the work of the CSIRO is an integral part of that," Mr Butler said. "[Any] additional cuts to climate research is further evidence of this government's complete disregard for ensuring Australia pulls its weight in the global effort to address climate change," Mr Butler said. Greens science spokesman Adam Bandt said the CSIRO's "public good" research was under attack. "Cuts to the CSIRO are falling heavily in the areas that are acting in the public interest, where private industry investment is harder to get, weakening our ability to deal with the challenges of climate change," Mr Bandt said. "Cutting climate change research at home undermines our ability to make a strong case for action on climate change at the Paris summit."