Irrespective of His Erudition, Ecologist Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe Remains a Voice in the Wilderness. (May 8, 2005)

   A front page item by Rosslyn Beeby in yesterday's Canberra Times reports "[Hugh] Tyndale-Biscoe, who pioneered research on the evolution and biology of marsupials during a 45-year career with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), told an audience of about 60 people - which included several prominent Canberra scientists - that good science could not flourish 'in a climate of excessive top-down planning'."

With the recent reappointment of Dr Geoffrey Garrett as Chief Executive of CSIRO it seems safe to assume that the federal government doesn't agree. Dr Tyndale-Biscoe made his observations at the launch of a new edition of his 450 page  Life of Marsupials. He went on to say that CSIRO was, "being inexorably changed from an institution that did research for all Australians to one that does consultancies for clients".

So far as the noted ecologist was concerned the recent retrenchment of a group of researchers at CSIRO's Sustainable Ecosystems who were told they were "surplus to requirements" was the last straw and he took the opportunity of the book launch to air his views.

Regarding the sacked scientists Dr Tyndale-Biscoe said, "One has measured hormones   in the blood of animals at a dilution of one part per billion; one has modelled how fast foot and mouth disease could spread in feral pig populations in Australia and one has done more than anyone else to develop ways to restore endangered species to their former habitat. "Their combined salaries were less than that being paid by CSIRO to one communicator with no scientific background," an apparent reference to Dr Garrett's controversial appointment of Ms Donna Staunton as CSIRO's Executive Director of Communications.

Broadening his target Dr Tyndale-Biscoe, went on to say according to Ms Beeby's report that "modern [governmental] management practices were comparable to 1930s Soviet science minister Nicolai Bukharin's determination to "neutralise" scientific opposition to government planning, and were compromising scientific independence, 'I think important scientific expertise is being shut out and that shouldn't be the case in a national research institution that was set up to serve all Australians.'"

In what appears to be a rather weak refutation to Dr Tyndale-Biscoe's criticisms the Chief of Sustainable Ecosystems, Andrew Johnson, told Ms Beeby that while there were program closures the division was trying to find new employment opportunities within CSIRO staff and "only a small number of people have been told that their skills are no longer required because they are not aligned to the future direction of the division."

Dr Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe was extensively interviewed in 1999 for the Australian Academy of Science. An edited transcript is available online.