Other nations in danger of eclipsing Australia’s interests, with just a ‘narrow window of opportunity’ to transform Hobart into a key gateway to Antarctica, a 20-year strategic plan finds

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Australia’s position in Antarctica is under threat due to a long-term dearth of scientific funding at a time when other nations are forging ahead in the region, a new blueprint for Antarctic research has warned.

The 20-year strategic plan, commissioned by the government, warns that there is now just a “narrow window of opportunity” to assert Australia’s interests in the Antarctic and transform Hobart into a key gateway to the icy wilderness for other countries.

While Australia claims sovereignty over 42% of Antarctica, the report, authored by former Australian Antarctic Division director Dr Tony Press, starkly warns that this position is in danger of being eclipsed due to budgetary shortfalls.

The report stresses that while mining in Antarctica is banned by international agreement, other nations could be positioning themselves to start doing it, if Australia does not strongly maintain its territorial claims. Australia’s Antarctic sovereignty, which is not universally recognised, could be challenged in the future if it retreats from its role as a scientific and logistical leader on the continent.



Australia claims sovereignty over 42% of Antarctica. Photograph: Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment

Australia’s sole icebreaker, the ageing Aurora Australis, conducted more than 40 days of scientific research in Antarctica each year, bar one, between 1989 and 2008.

However, the ship conducted no research in the past summer season, due to helping out a stuck vessel, and has been allotted just eight days of research for the upcoming season.

Press’s report states Australia’s Antarctic leadership is “being eroded by the diminishing capacity to undertake high-powered research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean” and calls the icebreaker situation the “single biggest point of failure”.

Australia requires a new, high-calibre icebreaker and must fund the scientific and logistic operations needed so that the vessel operates properly, the report recommends.

Other recommendations include upgrading Australia’s Antarctic stations, increasing Australian Antarctic science grants and prioritising port and aircraft investments to ensure that Hobart becomes a “global gateway to east Antarctica”.

The report states that Australia should work to ensure the Antarctic Treaty System remains strong and stable. The treaty is an international agreement on how Antarctica should be conserved.

Antarctic territory is also claimed by France, Norway, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Britain. Press’s report points out that China, Japan and South Korea have all made significant investments in expanding their respective Antarctic research.

Map of Antarctic research stations. Photograph: Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment

Greg Hunt, the environment minister, said Press’s report is “frank and fearless advice” and that the government was committed to Australia being a key leader in the Antarctic.

The government has put out a tender to replace the Aurora Australis, with the new vessel set to launch in 2019. A three-year, $24m research partnership has also been agreed, while a further $38m will be spent extending Hobart airport’s runway.

The airport runway extension will enable Antarctic researchers from overseas to directly access Hobart. It’s hoped that China will choose Hobart to be its year-round Antarctic research base, with a decision expected soon.

“This investment is critical for our long-term strategic interest in Antarctica remaining a place of peace and science, and it is fundamental to our ability to carry out research and work cooperatively with other Antarctic nations,” Hunt said.

Australian research days spent in Antarctica. Photograph: Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment

But Australia’s Antarctic researchers have raised fears that their budgetary situation appears to be getting worse. This year’s federal budget slashed the Australian Antarctic Division’s funding by 15%.

Mike Coffin, executive director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, said the report’s key recommendations were urgently needed.

“We really do want to see Hobart as a gateway city as a lot of nations are expanding their research,” Coffin told Guardian Australia. “Christchurch in New Zealand is the gateway for the US and there is a huge difference in scale. We’d like that to happen in Hobart.

“Essentially, the entire Antarctic research community is suffering from budget cuts and anticipated budget cuts. We have lost capacity of Antarctic research and we are well behind where we need to be.

“We also have the spectre of university deregulation, which is making our financial forecasts very conservative. That is bound to impact our Antarctic research.”

This year marks the centenary of Sir Douglas Mawson’s epic Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Australia’s main research base in Antarctica is named after Mawson.

The Australian Academy of Science said it welcomed the 20-year plan but said it needed to be backed with funding.



Dr Will Howard, deputy chairman of the academy’s national committee for Antarctic research, said: “This plan represents a positive step forward, but the recommendations now need to be taken up by the federal government to secure Australia’s leading role in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science.”



“The aim to increase funding to this vital area of science is positive, but it must also be followed by long-term sustainable funding for Antarctic projects, as recommended in the plan.”