CSIRO

New South Wales has its first suspected case of the deadly H5 bird flu in a giant petrel found near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle. Testing by CSIRO is underway to confirm if it is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain, which would mark the first detection of the disease on Australia’s east coast.

A CSIRO report commissioned by the Morrison government found that building 10 new dams in NSW's northern rivers could have reduced 2022 flood levels by up to two metres, though not enough to prevent a key levee overflow. Governments have not committed to implementing the modelled measures, despite the floods being described as a one-in-100-years event that killed 13 people.

A global team led by Australia’s CSIRO created the largest cosmic map of magnetic fields by measuring light from nearly 4 million galaxies as it traveled through intergalactic space. The map aims to help scientists study one of the universe’s most mysterious forces.

The CSIRO is planning to cut a third of the team working on the national climate model, which will impact Australia's ability to provide climate projections to global reports and forecast future damage. This will significantly reduce the country's capacity to plan for the future. The cuts are expected to affect the team's ability to provide reliable climate data.

The federal government has cut a $760m research commercialisation program to fund other science initiatives, including a $387.4m boost to the CSIRO and $273m for the National Measurement Institute. Researchers criticize the decision, saying it undermines the government's priorities. The move is seen as 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'.

Mouse numbers in Western Australia have reached plague levels, with reports of up to 4,000 burrows per hectare, while South Australia also experiences surges. CSIRO researcher Steve Henry warns that over 800 mice per hectare constitutes a plague, prompting high alert among grain growers.