The likely sale of CSIRO's massive Ginninderra field station has major implications for Canberra's land planning process. It also raises questions about funding cuts for research, as the federal government enthusiastically embraces a grand scheme of ship building in South Australia, where Coalition electorates are at risk.
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The 701-hectare field station sits on the ACT-New South Wales border and is prime land for housing. If the land is released for development, it will attract premium prices, given its location, relatively close to the Belconnen town centre.
Hundreds of homes could be built on the land but the construction would have to be carefully planned and staged to align with population demand. The land sale would feed generous revenue into the ACT government, and temporarily relieve it of the need to open further greenfield sites, in the north of Gungahlin.
Some Canberrans will be sad to see the sale of the experimental farm, long an institution in the national capital. It has maintained a remarkably low profile, apart from when Greenpeace protesters broke into the complex to destroy a crop of genetically modified wheat. About half a hectare of GM wheat was being grown on the site, as part of Australia's first outdoor trials.
CSIRO is the second largest government land owner after the Defence Department. Defence is also selling parts of its extensive real estate holdings, as recommended in the recent First Principles review.
Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh says CSIRO would not need to sell assets if the government had not cut about $115 million from its budget last year. He says the agency has lost 1200 science and support staff in the last two years and has closed or merged several of its research sites, and Australia spends less on scientific research than the OECD average.
This month CSIRO cancelled its annual survey of Australians' attitudes to climate change and will not release the results of its 2014 survey until late this year. It is understood financial constraints are a factor behind the change, after CSIRO's funding has been cut several times in recently years.
However a CSIRO spokesman says the possible sale of the Ginninderra field station is not due to funding cuts but because the site is under-utilised. Proceeds from the sale would be put towards new facilities for priority research. It makes sense for the agency to ensure its assets match up with its priorities. As Senator Katy Gallagher points out, it seems likely the CSIRO's need for cash has been accelerated by the funding cuts. It is to be hoped CSIRO will be spared further funding cuts, given its record of world-leading inventions such as plastic bank notes.
Where such a large parcel of land as the CSIRO farm is likely to come on the market, it could have years of ramifications for the ACT and Canberra's property market. Therefore, the public must be assured the ACT's robust planning processes will be strictly adhered to in this case.
