In Canberra, at least 40 science and support staff at Land and Water Australia's headquarters in Northbourne Avenue will lose their jobs.

More than 150 research projects managed by the agency will also be wound up, resulting in one of the biggest shut-downs of environmental and farm research in Australia's history.

The cuts have prompted one of Australia's top ecologists, Professor David Lindenmayer of the Australian National University, to accuse the Rudd Government of being ''clueless about climate change'' and the pivotal role of environmental science.

''It makes no sense to get rid of one of the best applied science agencies this country has. It will send environmental science plummeting back to the dark ages.''

But a spokeswoman for federal primary industry minister Tony Burke said the Government was delivering a tough budget next week, ''and difficult decisions had to be made''.Land and Water Australia, which receives $13million a year in federal funding, is the nation's peak climate change research agency for farmers, rural industries and Aboriginal land management groups.

Set up 20 years ago by the Hawke Labor government and former National Farmers Federation president, the late Rick Farley, it also pioneered research in dryland salinity, soil health, river systems, sustainable irrigation and safer farm chemicals.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times