Coresearch (1993)

352##1993 No. 352 Apr i I 1 993 CSIRO's s t a f f newspaper CS I RO AUSTRALIA Silmll,flldparty; SlJmllllllWhats Well, it's all over, and we even know who's going to be doing the shouting for CSIRO and the rest of the science community. It's Senator' Chris Schacht. He's 47, an ex-school-teacher, a Australia's manufactured expolts. South Australian, and a Keating He docs not, however, hold man, having supported Paul with hclping individual Keating against Bob Hawke companies, but believes the during their battle for leadership government should provide of the Labor Party. financial help for specific His political specialties arc industries. human rights, foreign affairs, and When it comes to science itself the media. Senator Schacht believes the best He has alrcady shown his retums for investment come frolll interest in communication as it purc research. relates to his new portfolio 'But you have to explain this in Science and Small Business. the budget proccss to people who Several times during the demand to see immediate Australian Science Festival in results,' he said. Canberra last month he publicly Initially a school teacher, urged scientists to spend more Senator Schacht became a time blowing their own trumpets. temporary organiseI' for the ALP They should put as much effort in South Australia when he was into communicating the results of 23, was for a time press secretary their work as they did into for the South Australian Minister producing them, he said. for Agriculture in lhe Dunstan He even suggested that science communication should be made a compulsory patt of all science courses in Australia. As might be predicted from his pOltfolio,Senator Schacht is also committcd to helping small business in Australia, He is convinced [hnt sector will be crucial to the nation's economlc future. He referred to a recent McKinsey study that claimed some 700 smnllnnd medium exporting companies were responsible for more than half Not bad. with a bit less energy ... Think globally; act locally, That's what the environ mentalists are always saying, Well, there's a CSIRO Division that might qualify, in that respect, for a place in their list of green achievers. The Division of Atmospheric Research in Melboume is probably best known for its work on the greenhouse effect. That's about as global as a research area gets, and now they've matched it with an impressive little bit of local action. The stafT have spent the past year doing everything they could to reduce electricity consumption. And they've got it down by JO pel' cent. That 10 per cent translates to about 70 tonnes of carbon dioxide that wasn't added to the earth's load of greenhouse gases last year. According to the Division's Chief, Dr Graham Pearman, it has mainly been a matter of simple things like switching off lights and equipment after use. Having done so well so far is going to make it hard to do better, The Intemational Grassland Congress held in Australia and New Zealand in February this year but the Division's staff are aiming for a further five per cent cut in attracted some heavyweight grassland gurus. Above, l~fi to right, Dr Malcolm Hadley Ii'om energy consumption during the coming year. UNESCO, Professor Kevin O'Connor Ii'Oln Lincoln University, New Zealand, and Mike Young CSIRO's Chief Executive, Dr John Stockel', said the Division from CSIRO. Scientists at the congress weren't just sitting around watching the grass not grow. offered an example to the whole Organisation of what could be AccD/yling to many of them the world's grasslands may not last 10 years. Politicians, they .lay. done with co-operative action. must work with scientists and the community to reverse land degradation trends. From that point 'This Division,' he said, 'has reduced its annual energy bill by ofview, the situation may have improved since they spoke (see story page 3). more than $5,000. That money is now going into research.' So, you buy onc local event with a global consequence, and you STOP PI~ESS: April 21. The CSIRO Division of Water Resources has won the Australian Water and Wastewater get one I'ree, it seems. Has to be a bargain.·:· Association's Peter Hughes Water Award for its contribution to water conservation. Details next issue. commissioned by the Organisation's Human Aspendalf]:and the Resources Branch and produced by Gibson Marlow Consulting. Letters The repmt was an analysis Atmosphere·of based on interviews with people the electorate at the highest leadership levels to the unannounced so as to avoid in CSIRO, Government and elaborate preparations, formal industry - of the qualities that Editor presentations, and facing groups should be demanded of a ofpeople in suits. I told him CSIRO Divisional Chief. That that from my experience in the is, in PPE terms - and tlle Bntfirst, a letter from Organisation he wouldn't have report was in PPE terms - a the Editor ... too much to worry about on the report on what the people sartorial front! interviewed thought should be I'm sorry it's been so long since He's interested in a broad the new competencies for the last CoResearch, though not range of issues. Human rigilts CSIRO Chiefs. entirely sorry to have had so were prominent, and his recent It was very interesting to note many calls about it. I had a work on a parliamentary tbat in the last four years, since couple of months off in a row committee on telecommunica the original competency model because of a bit of surgery, and tions has increased his for Chiefs was produced, much when I returned, of course, it knowledge of - and interest in greater emphasis is being was to a pile of work even higher - the directions in which placed on the ability to interact than after a normal holiday. Laziness did come into it 100. as l~ft. policy-making and the industry with stakeholders, on Above. Paul Keating campaigning at CSIRO's Division of I was sternly advised to take it b~lore might be going in that area. On entrepreneurial skills, and on Atmospheric Research at Aopendale just the election. 1993. easy for a while, and did, but aU Right. Bob Hawke, the same. 1990. this topic, I told him about a those competencies the report very successful recent liaison called 'client orientation' and that is behind me now ... -Ed. You could hardly call the recent election unexciting, I meeting at the Division of 'commercial orientation'. That is, on commitment to a culture Dear Editor, suppose, but there was a lot of disappointment within Radiophysics in Epping. I and some CSIRO colleagues in which emphasis is placed on I think there are good grounds CSIRO ranks at the almost total lack of attention - Colin Adam, John Brotchie, del ivery of results to someone for complaint about the recent paid to science and technology. The 1990 cam[>aign Dennis Cooper, Bob Fraler, outside the Organisation. introduction of the new five had a strong focus on science, but this time jobs, and John O'Caliaghan and Lyndal Several participants in the tiered PPE Stage 3 fonns. First. there is the well pubIicised, other quality-of-Iife issues, tool, over the whole stage. Thorbum - met and talked leadership course reminded me willI Mr Graham Evans, forcefully that we are going to obvious lack of final, or fmther. So science, which surely should Aspendale. Departmental Secretary, and have to recognise these qualities consultation with tile CSIRO have been a prominent player, The election has also delivered other senior personnel from the not just in words but in deeds, Division of the PSU, before remained stuck in the wings, us a new Minister, and I had the Department of Transport and and especially in our promotion introduction of the new Stage 3 with nobody effectively making pleasure of a first meeting with Communications. That meeting criteria. I was able to point to forms (everyone seems to agree the connection between Chris Schacht soon after his was highlighted by the identifi the recent promotion of Phil the old Stage 3 forms needed innovation, technology, and appointment. He is a direct, cation of a number of opportu Jennings from within the changing). jobs. vigorous man, clearly deeply nities for joinl research. It Organisation across an Institute Second, and less well Apparently. no one was interested and engaged. He ended with a splendid and into a position as Chief of publicised, is the abysmal timing noticing that during the expressed great enthusiasm spirited set of presentations Tropical Animal Production as and mismanagement of the recession small business was about the portfolio he now frOln.CSIROs.cientists on the a r~aqgnWon qf a ,strong. introduction of these new forms. starting to emerge very strongly, IrolCls, whichJlicltides ho(prtly site ... communication at its leadership performance Stage 3 was under way particularly in the manufactur- science and technology but very best! demonstrating just these sorts of throughout CSIRO, and ing areas. It is interesting now small business and customs. Our new Minister's portfolio competencies. completed in my project group, to ask how these so-called Already at that first meeting falls under the Cabinet Ministry Another example is Adrian before new Stage 3 fOIl11S arrived 'born-to-export' companies he has spoken of his keenness of Industry, Technology and Williams. He was promoted for in the Divisions. Surely revision acquire their technology. to explore links between Regional Development, for exactly the same reason to the and introduction of the forms CSIRO will be paying close technology and small business, which Alan Griffiths has been position of Chief of the new should have occuned by January attention to that in a new study and that fits very well with given responsibility.

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