CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton received a bonus of $198,517 on top of his $789,391 base salary in the last financial year, according to its 2025-2026 annual report. That year, the national science agency made cuts that shrank its workforce by several hundred people.
Hilton was the only one of the organisation's senior executives to receive a bonus classed as a "salary at risk" payment. More than 1,100 jobs have been cut from CSIRO in the last two years, according to the Community and Public Sector Union, and separation and redundancy payments cost the agency more than $27m.
Snowy Hydro's annual report for the same financial year shows executives at the troubled Snowy Hydro company collectively banked bonuses worth $751,925. Its Snowy 2.0 project has blown out to 12 times its original cost. Chief executive Dennis Barnes, who has a base salary of $1,845,126, opted not to accept the extra cash. Chief financial officer Kim Josling received a $215,440 bonus on a pay packet worth $828,839, chief operating officer Maia Schweizer pocketed a $255,570 bonus on a base salary of $1,050,503, and chief commercial officer Gordon Wymer took home a $280,915 bonus on a base salary of $1,142,268.
Snowy 2.0 was first put forward in 2017 by the Turnbull government with an original price tag of $2bn. The project, in the Kosciuszko national park, was revised to almost $13bn in 2023 and construction was expected to be completed by the end of 2028, but it now won’t be completed and fully commissioned until 2029. It is expected to cost taxpayers as much as $25bn.
A Snowy Hydro spokesperson said "short term incentives are based on a range of performance outcomes across these parts of Snowy Hydro's business". "Mr Barnes recommended to Snowy Hydro's Board that he receive no short term incentive payment for FY26," the statement reads.
A CSIRO spokesperson said the agency's board determined the annual value of the "at risk payment", assessed on key performance indicators. "The size of CSIRO's workforce is now expected to remain stable, supported by additional funding from the Australian Government in this year's federal budget," the spokesperson said. "CSIRO acknowledges that change can create uncertainty for affected staff, and we do not underestimate the impact of that."
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Bonuses received by Snowy Hydro and CSIRO executives, 2025-26 financial year
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Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes opted not to receive a bonus. Source: Snowy Hydro and CSIRO annual reports, via Guardian Australia
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Analysis
Why This Matters
Senior executives at publicly funded bodies are collecting bonuses in the same period their agencies are cutting jobs or watching project costs balloon.
CSIRO's chief was the only senior executive to receive a "salary at risk" bonus, after such payments to other executives were removed to align the agency with the public service.
Taxpayers carry both sides of the ledger: CSIRO's redundancy program cost more than $27m, and Snowy 2.0 is expected to cost as much as $25bn, 12 times its original estimate.
Background
Snowy Hydro is the government-owned company behind Snowy 2.0, a renewable energy project in the Kosciuszko national park first proposed in 2017. CSIRO is Australia's national science agency. Both organisations have defended their executive pay decisions as performance-based.
Key Perspectives
Snowy Hydro: A spokesperson said short-term incentives are based on a range of performance outcomes across the business, and that chief executive Dennis Barnes recommended to the board that he receive no short-term incentive payment for FY26.
CSIRO: A spokesperson said the board determined the annual value of the "at risk payment", assessed on key performance indicators, and expects the workforce to remain stable with additional federal funding.
Community and Public Sector Union: Says more than 1,100 jobs have been cut from CSIRO in the last two years.
What to Watch
Whether CSIRO's workforce holds steady, as the agency expects after the federal funding it cited in this year's budget.
Whether Snowy 2.0's revised timetable holds, with full commissioning now not expected until 2029.
Whether the expected cost of as much as $25bn for Snowy 2.0 holds as construction continues.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
SupportedCSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton received a $198,517 bonus in the year the agency cut hundreds of jobs.Business | The Guardian: “At Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, its chief executive, Doug Hilton, received a bonus of $198,517 on top of his $789,391 base salary, according to its 2025-2026 annual report. He was the only one of the organisation’s senior executives to receive a bonus classed as a “salary at risk” payment. The cash was awarded the same year the agency made a number of painful cuts, shrinking its workforce by several hundred people.”
SupportedSnowy Hydro executives collectively received $751,925 in bonuses despite the project’s cost blowing out to 12 times its original cost.Business | The Guardian: “Executives at the troubled Snowy Hydro company collectively banked bonuses worth a combined $751,925 in the last financial year, despite its renewable energy project blowing out to 12 times its original cost.”
SupportedHilton’s $198,517 bonus was on top of his $789,391 base salary, according to CSIRO’s 2025-2026 annual report.Business | The Guardian: “At Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, its chief executive, Doug Hilton, received a bonus of $198,517 on top of his $789,391 base salary, according to its 2025-2026 annual report.”
SupportedHilton was the only CSIRO senior executive to receive a bonus classed as a “salary at risk” payment.Business | The Guardian: “He was the only one of the organisation’s senior executives to receive a bonus classed as a “salary at risk” payment.”
SupportedMore than 1,100 CSIRO jobs have been cut in the last two years, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.Business | The Guardian: “More than 1,100 jobs have been cut from CSIRO in the last two years, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.”
SupportedCSIRO separation and redundancy payments cost the agency more than $27 million.Business | The Guardian: “Separation and redundancy payments cost the agency more than $27m.”
SupportedA Snowy Hydro spokesperson said, “short term incentives are based on a range of performance outcomes across these parts of Snowy Hydro's business”.Business | The Guardian: “A Snowy Hydro spokesperson said “short term incentives are based on a range of performance outcomes across these parts of Snowy Hydro’s business”.”
SupportedThe Snowy Hydro statement says, “Mr Barnes recommended to Snowy Hydro's Board that he receive no short term incentive payment for FY26,”.Business | The Guardian: ““Mr Barnes recommended to Snowy Hydro’s Board that he receive no short term incentive payment for FY26,” the statement reads.”
SupportedA CSIRO spokesperson said the board determined the annual value of the at-risk payment, which was assessed on key performance indicators.Business | The Guardian: “A CSIRO spokesperson said the agency’s board determined the annual value of the “at risk payment” which was assessed on key performance indicators.”
SupportedThe CSIRO spokesperson said the workforce is expected to remain stable, supported by additional funding in this year’s federal budget.Business | The Guardian: ““The size of CSIRO’s workforce is now expected to remain stable, supported by additional funding from the Australian Government in this year’s federal budget,” the spokesperson said.”
SupportedThe CSIRO spokesperson said, “CSIRO acknowledges that change can create uncertainty for affected staff, and we do not underestimate the impact of that.”Business | The Guardian: ““CSIRO acknowledges that change can create uncertainty for affected staff, and we do not underestimate the impact of that.””
SupportedSnowy 2.0 is expected to cost taxpayers as much as $25 billion.Business | The Guardian: “The company’s long-delayed renewable energy project, Snowy Hydro 2.0, will not be completed until the end of the decade and is expected to cost taxpayers as much as $25bn.”