Australian Institute of Marine Science additional funding will support equipment upgrades and job security

The Australian Institute of Marine Science, with parts of its Townville headquarters currently uninhabitable due to mould growth and decaying air conditioning units, and facing the prospect of losing some of its team, has welcomed the announcement from the Federal Government that it will be receiving an extra $163.4 million in the May budget over the next four years, on top of its annual federal funding which has ranged from $44 million to $47 million since 2017-18.

With its 1970s-era science labs no longer fit for purpose and one of its smaller research vessels, the now 18-year-old RV Apollo, having also reached its use-by date and with maintenance costs rising, the funding will support refurbishments, replacements and repairs to allow the AIMS team to fulfill their role in reef and climate research.

Australian Institute of Marine Science, Chief Executive Dr Paul Hardisty shared “for over 50 years the Australian Institute of Marine Science has delivered world leading marine science research but demand for our services has never been stronger and we had reached the limits of what we could do. This increase in our operating funding, the first in ten years, will enable us to continue our science and research activities, maintaining Australia’s position as a world leader in marine science.

“The refurbishment and modernisation of AIMS’ facilities at our Townsville head office will ensure we can continue to conduct cutting-edge research to protect our world heritage listed coral reefs, including Ningaloo Reef and the Great Barrier Reef, from the effects of climate change.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek travelled to Townsville on Wednesday to make the funding announcement which will also support additional jobs and ensure job security for many on the AIMS team.

Minister Plibersek said AIMS was “too important to abandon” adding “this investment will protect jobs in North Queensland, support vital ocean research, and protect the Great Barrier Reef.”

“Up to 100 jobs in regional Queensland were on the verge of being cut if no one stepped in to save them.

“This investment will protect jobs in North Queensland, support vital ocean research, and protect the Great Barrier Reef.”

AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaign Manager Lissa Schindler advised “Climate change is having a massive impact on our marine environment, from the tropical north where marine heatwaves cause mass bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef down to our temperate waters where the giant kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef struggling with waters warming 3-4 times the global average. AIMS’s research plays a leading role in the management of our tropical marine environment and marine parks.

“Without AIMS, we would not have such a good knowledge of the condition of the Great Barrier Reef, and what we need to save it. Its ongoing monitoring program within the Great Barrier Reef has been critical in understanding the changes and impacts occurring from climate change, water pollution and fisheries and seeing the benefits of the marine park rezoning.

“It’s pleasing that the Australian Government has recognised the importance of AIMS’s work. It was disturbing to discover that its scientists were having to work in laboratories riddled with mould. AIMS needs to be well funded so it can fulfill its role to provide leading scientific advice on the marine environment to government.”

Funding will support the delivery of the following:

• Save 100 existing jobs and create over 100 jobs, mostly in regional Queensland, while making an additional 66 jobs permanent. It will help refurbish the Townsville headquarters of AIMS, which requires significant investment to ensure it meets modern, safe workplace standards.

• Support the replacement of the RV Apollo, a research vessel that is now 18 years old and at the end of its useful life. The vessel no longer meets the size or capability needs, with maintenance costs growing year on year.

• Repairing parts of the building which are currently uninhabitable due to the growth of mould in carpets, ceilings, and wall cavities

• Updating 1970’s science laboratories to be able to carry out modern scientific methods and processes

• Replacing degraded and non-functional air conditioning systems

• Upgrading the critical electrical power supply capacity for the AIMS site. AIMS science experiments require a consistent and reliable supply of electrical power, particularly over the long term – even a brief power outage can result in the loss of years of scientific research. Recent increases in the frequency and duration of severe weather events resulting in the site being isolated have underscored the critical importance of these upgrades

• Establishing an infrastructure program management office to oversee and deliver on these works, creating six new jobs in the Townsville region

Image. The AIMS team of marine scientists spend more than 120 days a year at sea, jumping in to survey reefs along the length and breadth of the Great Barrier Reef. After each monitoring trip the data is publicly available via their Reef dashboard. They share data on reef-wide coral cover, crown-of-thorns starfish numbers, everything that grows on the seafloor, juvenile corals, things that damage corals, and all the fish. Credit: AIMS