Senate recomends Australia to increase Antarctic science
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Canberra: The Australian government should consider the purchase of a second Antarctic vessel to boost research on the continent, a Senate inquiry has found.
The Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications made 16 recommendations in a report published on Thursday to ensure that science remains the top priority of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), Xinhua news agency reported.
After it was revealed that the budgets within the AAD were poorly managed, the inquiry was launched in August 2023, the findings of which were supported by the governing Labor Party, opposition Coalition and Greens Party.
The committee identified problems with the RSV Nuyina, the AAD's Antarctic Icebreaker, as a microcosm of the issues facing the agency.
The 528 million Australian dollars (349 million USD) RSV Nuyina has not completed a dedicated scientific voyage since coming into service in 2021, instead being used for resupply missions and has been plagued by technical problems.
