In an interview with The Weekly Times, the Chief Scientist discussed water management and called for a single body to guide Australia’s long-term water strategy.

“I can’t imagine that we can just continue, for example, to pull water out of the aquifers without understanding them much better than we do,” Professor Chubb said.

“I can’t believe we can just depend on occasional rains, these episodic bursts of rainfall, the dry semi-drought in some areas and real drought in other parts.

“Somebody’s got to take responsibility for it and it’s got to be one group.”

The Chief Scientist also spoke about the Science and Research Priorities, which include water, soil and food. Discussing Australia’s reputation for agricultural innovation, Professor Chubb said Australia must focus on retaining its competitive edge.

“It’s a question of how we learn to adapt and get ahead of the game rather than wait for things to happen and then constantly try to play catch up,” he said.

The full interview is available at The Weekly Times.