[Greens-Media] Closure of NSW soil carbon research centre

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Closure of NSW soil carbon research centre

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and climate change spokesperson, Senator
Christine Milne, said:

"The best climate change strategy for rural and regional Australia is in
learning how to keep more carbon in the soils - reducing our climate
impact and building resilience to the warming that we've already caused.

"Enhancing soil carbon is being recognised globally as not only a great
thing for improving productivity and building resilience in the face of
climate change, but it is also potentially a huge opportunity to reduce
the carbon emissions which cause climate change.

"It is stupid and short-sighted in the extreme for any government to be
closing down a facility which has 75 years of data to back the new,
exciting science around soil carbon.

"Minister Wong must intervene immediately with the Government of NSW to
prevent the closure of this facility and the loss of the important
science that it represents.

"With the dominance of private sector funding in scientific research, we
have lost too many scientists from our research institutions who
understand how carbon is stored in soils and how natural systems work.
We cannot rely on the agribusiness sector which is putting huge
pressures on farmers' margins as well as on soils. Instead of getting
rid of scientists who understand soil carbon, we should be recruiting
them again and increasing their research funding.

"Gross mismanagement in NSW is no excuse for losing the research which
could make such a huge difference to rural and regional Australia as we
adapt to climate change."



Tim Hollo 
Media and Communications Adviser 
Senator Christine Milne 
Australian Greens Deputy Leader
ph: (02) 6277 3588 
mob: 0437 587 562
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