Bad news in Hobart, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is losing as many as 17 jobs as part of the national cost-cutting measure.

A CSIRO spokesman says the agency is trying to minimize the potential for any job losses.  But the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) points out the cuts will affect relatively good salaries that will no longer be spent in the local economy.

“These are senior research scientists and research project officers, so these jobs are really important to Tasmanian families and the economy,” said Sam Popovski of the staff association.

“We were expecting closer to 10 jobs and the jobs in Hobart are going to go from a range of marine and atmospheric areas of research,” he added.

Popovski says CSIRO needs to investigate redeploying the researchers.

“We are aware that there may be up to twenty new research and support positions attached to the new Research Vessel (RV) Investigator, which will replace RV SouthernSurveyor in the next twelve months.  So there may be opportunities for people to be re-deployed to Investigator, should there be potential for skill and capability matching.”