More job losses at the CSIRO: Madigan

Scientists whose expertise would aid the government's direct action carbon farming plan will lose their jobs at the CSIRO, a crossbench senator says.

(AAP)

The CSIRO will let go 33 scientists from its specialty timber section, a crossbench senator says.

Democratic Labour Party senator John Madigan said he received information on Monday that the national science agency would retrench the staff.

It will leave the division at its "bare bones" as the coalition moved to introduce its direct action carbon farming initiative, he said.

"These are the people we need who have the technical expertise to help deliver what the government is claiming it was going to do," Senator Madigan told ABC TV.

The CSIRO took a $110 million funding hit in the May budget and unions project 500 job losses over four years, with some already announced.

The timber industry directly employs almost 80,000 people across Australia.

"I would have thought that the government would not be going down this path," Senator Madigan said.