Carter John: Carter Observatory Act Repeal Bill — First Reading 
Carter John: Carter Observatory Act Repeal Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:658;Page:7396] 
Hon JOHN CARTER (Minister of Civil Defence) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: I move  
That the Carter Observatory Act Repeal Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Education and Science Committee and that the committee report finally to the House on or before 20 November 2009. I will also be moving that the committee have the authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during questions for oral answer during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House or on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House despite Standing Orders 187 and 190(1)(b) and (c). 
Today I start by outlining what this bill represents. It provides the final steps to repeal the Carter Observatory Act 1938 which established an astronomical observatory in the city of Wellington; dissolves the Carter Observatory board established to maintain operate and control the Carter Observatory; transfers the assets of the Carter Observatory board to the Wellington City Council which has managed the observatory since 2007 and will continue to do so in the future; and vests the liabilities incurred by the Carter Observatory board in the Crown and the Wellington City Council. The Crown will bear responsibility for liabilities incurred before December 2007 and the Wellington City Council those incurred from December 2007. These decisions were agreed to by the previous Government and the enactment of this legislation will complete that process. Once the Act has been repealed the final responsibility of the board will be to present its final set of accounts to Parliament. 
The observatory owes its existence to Charles Rooking Carter who lived from 1822 until 1896. He gifted part of his estate to what later became the Royal Society of New Zealand for the purpose of establishing an astronomical observatory in or near Wellington. Parliament formally recognised the observatory in passing the Carter Observatory Act in 1938. That Act made the observatory the formal base for astronomical research in New Zealand. Research began with solar observations. However the observatory expanded its scope in the 1970s to include variable stars galaxies comets and asteroids. There was further recognition of the observatory’s role when it became the national astronomical observatory of New Zealand in 1977 with the function to “promote or carry out … research or activity related to astronomy”. Historically the Carter Observatory had a research team that provided research science and technology outputs. However since its establishment as the national astronomical observatory of New Zealand the roles functions and outputs of the Carter Observatory have changed considerably. For example there has been a shift away from an active research focus and towards developing a more educational and visitors centre experience. 
In 2005 astronomer Professor Mike Bessell of the Australian National University was commissioned by the Ministry of Research Science and Technology to review the Carter Observatory’s ability to carry out its functions as New Zealand’s national observatory explore New Zealand’s requirements and opportunities in the national observatory area and assess the roles of the various players within the sector. The report asked what a national observatory was and whether New Zealand needed one whether the Carter Observatory was currently fulfilling the national observatory role and whether it was appropriate that the Carter Observatory retain its national observatory status. The report showed that the functions of a national observatory for education and higher-level research were spread across New Zealand’s observatories and astronomical organisations and that the role and function of the national observatory was not being fulfilled by the Carter Observatory. At the same time the Carter Observatory was looking to transition to a high-quality educational and tourism experience. It was apparent therefore that the ownership and funding of the observatory did not fit with how the observatory had evolved or with where its future lay. 
This bill sets in motion the legislative process started by the previous Government and developed in conjunction with the Wellington City Council. The primary policy objective of this bill is “to terminate the statutory responsibilities of the Crown in relation to the Carter Observatory …”. The Crown has provided $2.2 million in funding for the observatory to transition from the Crown into management by the Wellington City Council. Under the current arrangements Wellington City Council has guaranteed financial support for the Carter Observatory of $300000 per annum for 10 years. This Government agrees with that approach as the Carter Observatory’s direction no longer aligns with the requirements of the national observatory as set out in Professor Bessell’s report. The transition of the Carter Observatory away from the Crown will not mean a significant impact on or loss of science capability. 
The future interest of the observatory will lie with the Wellington City Council whose focus for the observatory will be on public education and tourism. I take the opportunity to congratulate the Wellington City Council on ensuring the continuing operation of the Carter Observatory. The observatory is now on a more stable footing. The refurbishment and upgrading of the building has been completed with the assistance of $2.2 million of taxpayer or Crown funding. The Crown funding for the redevelopment of the observatory was agreed to as part of the business case put forward by the Wellington City Council to reposition the Carter Observatory as a Wellington-based tourist attraction. The next stage of the refurbishment project is scheduled to be completed early next year. That stage will include the design and installation of a multimedia exhibition that will bring space science to life. The future direction of the Carter Observatory with the Wellington City Council will see the observatory transformed into a high-quality tourism and education venue for both national and international visitors offering a distinct Kiwi perspective to space science and astronomy. 
The report of the Australian astronomer Mike Bessell in 2005 recommended that the Carter Observatory no longer be the national observatory of New Zealand and that the Act be repealed. It made other recommendations on where a national observatory could be placed and what the budgeting requirements to fund a national observatory could be. There may be some interest about what is generally viewed as the national observatory title and the status that it implies. Although the Carter Observatory has gained a reputation over time as the national observatory of New Zealand it was never accorded the right of protection of names under the Act— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why not? 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: —once the national observatory status is repealed. If the member hangs on a minute I may just be able to tell him. 
Hon Member 
: Or may not! 
Hon JOHN CARTER 
: Or may not. The Government has no immediate plans to designate any such national observatory title or status to the Carter Observatory or to any other observatory or group. I commend the bill to the House.