Article
BAMOS August 2025
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Excerpt from Prof. Tony Haymet ' s( Chief Scientist) speech at AMOS 2025
Personally and professionally, I’ m very glad to be here— having worked closely with oceanographers, meteorologists and climate change scientists for many years.
But most of all, I am especially pleased to speak with you at the end of First Nations Day at this conference.
One of the Australian Government’ s five national Science and Research Priorities is the elevation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems. Across Australia, oceanography and meteorology projects are increasingly integrating that knowledge with contemporary science.
The government released its National Science and Research Priorities in August last year. When you reflect on your work, I hope you will see the contribution you are making to some or all of these five overarching national objectives.
Protecting and restoring our environment. Building a secure and resilient nation. Supporting healthy and thriving communities. Elevating Indigenous knowledge systems. And finally, transitioning to net zero.
Your role has always been critical— but especially so in this era of rapid environmental change.
Your work keeps Australians safe, supports our farmers, guides our leaders, and protects our biodiversity. It is crucial for Australia’ s resilience, prosperity, and the wellbeing of its people. It tackles global challenges like climate change, sustains our resources and saves lives. It underpins our economy, our food, and our wellbeing.
In short, your science helps to shape our future.
When I look at this audience, I see the collective intellect helping to drive our efforts to achieve our national scientific priorities. And unfortunately— or perhaps fortunately— I see people whose work is so critical at a time when our planet faces unprecedented challenges.
Now, this is a dinner speech— and after three days of intense discussion at the conference, I’ ll keep this light— but not too light. Because the reality is, we face mounting challenges on many fronts.
Let me give you a few snapshots.
On the east coast, towns like Lismore are reeling from repeated, devastating floods. The toll— on families, communities, the economy— is staggering. The insurance bill is enormous— and so too the cost of insurance premiums for many home-owners. Some cannot even get insurance.
To the west, Ningaloo Reef is bleaching. And so too this year, the Great Barrier Reef.
In the north, temperatures are rising, wet seasons intensifying, and cyclones are expected to grow stronger.
In the south, Tasmania’ s kelp forests are vanishing, and melting Antarctic sea ice is shifting ocean currents and sea levels.
So, what’ s our guiding star? What guides us through this turbulent period and its multi-layered challenges at all points of the compass?
One word: science.
Science gives us the tools to understand, adapt, and act. And that’ s where you come in. And that’ s why your work matters— now more than ever— to our national priorities and the national challenges we face.
Those challenges have been starkly highlighted this month in the Home Safe report, from the Climate Change Authority, which I commend to you. It delivers a sobering warning about various issues— including the impact of climate change on household insurance prices and home values. It reports some households now face insurance costs of more than $ 30,000 a year. Further, it says that in the first quarter of this year“ insurance claims for ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and the North Queensland floods, exceeded 1.2 billion dollars”.
The report warns that— and I quote—“ 652,000 properties around Australia are considered at high risk from one or more climate hazards, where insurance is considered unaffordable or unavailable”.
And it gets worse. The report predicts that— and I quote—“ climate change is projected to wipe over $ 500 billion off the Australian property market by 2030”.
So yes, our oceans and climate face enormous challenges in the north and south, the east and west.
But history shows us that no challenge is beyond humanity’ s reach.