A JAMES Cook University scientist who played a fundamental role in bringing the institution to Cairns is unable to say whether his job is safe.

Yesterday, The Cairns Post reported dozens of academics faced redundancies as JCU management embarked on proposed structural changes to the university.

Professor of Geography Steve Turton was among a group of academics who first established the science program at the Smithfield campus 21 years ago.

Yesterday, he said while JCU management had been “very open” since announcing the cuts, staff members were feeling the pressure.

“Whenever you go through a change at an organisation, and a university is no different, it naturally brings anxiety to staff, those tapped on the shoulder and those left behind,” Prof Turton said. “We have to work together to help each other as much as we can.”

Asked whether he was among those who had been tapped on the shoulder, Prof Turton said he was unable to comment at the moment. He said a “neoliberal” agenda used by successive federal governments over the past 20 years to cut university funding had created the problems JCU was facing.

“It’s very sad – if our university sector is squeezed it impacts on the whole country,” Prof Turton said. “The lucky country concept is questionable unless you’re prepared to fund that sector properly.”

But Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch questioned whether the need to upgrade “ageing infrastructure” at the university’s Townsville campus was to blame for the cuts.

“Funding for universities, including indexation rates, there have been no changes to it since the higher education support act was enacted in 2003,” he said.

“In the past two calendar years JCU has received around $280 million from the Commonwealth under a demand- driven funding arrangement.

“My understanding is one challenge JCU has is ageing infrastructure in Townsville ... it would appear they have not been maintaining older infrastructure while they have been growing here.”

Mr Entsch also questioned why similar staff redundancies weren’t being announced at Central Queensland University, which has a campus in Cairns, if federal funding was the main problem.

But a spokesman for JCU said all Australian universities were facing similar challenges.

“Uncertainty over funding and falling indexation of Commonwealth grants have led to persistent declines in funding,” he said. “The University needs to secure its financial sustainability and ensure that it can continue to grow in areas in which it excels and for which there is a community need.”