Adani demanded the names of all federal agency scientists reviewing its contentious groundwater plans so it could check if they were “anti-coal” activists, emails obtained under freedom of information show.
The revelation has alarmed CSIRO staff representatives, who said it indicated Adani had “a deliberate strategy” to pressure scientists by searching for personal information it could use to try to “discredit their work”.
Emails obtained under freedom of information by environmental group Lock The Gate show Adani gave the federal environment department five days to provide “a list of each person from the CSIRO and Geoscience Australia involved in the review”.
As the performance assessment season at CSIRO starts to get into swing, survey results showing sub optimal ratings for employee development and reward are a reminder that staff review processes have not always been applied consistently and transparently across the organisation.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Moon landing by the United States – and the crucial role played by CSIRO in televising the epoch-making moment to a live, global audience – has captured the imagination of Australians around the country.