Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13774. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to theMinister of Science and Innovation: Did GNS Science undertake work modelling the groundwater in theRuataniwha Plains in 2012 and 2013; and was the contract completed fully?Hon NIKKI KAYE (Minister for Food Safety) on behalf of theMinister of Science and Innovation: Yes I have been advised that GNS Science undertook groundwater modelling work in relation to theRuataniwha Plains during the 2012-13 year. I am advised GNS Science was contracted by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for four separate pieces of work. Three contracts were completed and invoiced. One piece of work was not completed.Dr Russel Norman: Did the Minister know that GNS Science scientists raised serious concerns about the accuracy of the regional council’s groundwater model the fundamental information underpinning the work?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I am advised that the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council opted to change its management strategy for theRuataniwha Plains. That is the reason that has been given.Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member to repeat his question.Dr Russel Norman: Did the Minister know that GNS Science scientists raised serious concerns about the accuracy of the regional council’s groundwater model which was the fundamental information underpinning the report?Hon NIKKI KAYE: Just to build on my previous answer I have said the reason why the contract was terminated but from my perspective—and I am obviously answering on behalf of the Minister—he did not know that.Dr Russel Norman: Were the GNS Science scientists working on the project pressured by the regional council into completing a report on the dam despite their objecting strenuously to the accuracy of the information they were supplied to work with by the regional council?Hon NIKKI KAYE: The first thing that I would say is that the contractual arrangements—and I want to make this point—between GNS Science and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are not something that Ministers would ever be involved in the detail of but the member does make an allegation in his particular question. I have no knowledge of that allegation.Dr Russel Norman: Did GNS Science scientists insist on recording their concerns about the inaccuracy of the council’s groundwater model in their updated report at which point the contract was terminated by the council?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I will just repeat what I have said before which is that GNS Science has hundreds of contracts. The first time I became aware of this issue was today so what the member is saying in terms of his question I cannot verify. But I would say again that the contracts between GNS Science and the Hawke’s BayRegional Council are exactly contracts between them. There are hundreds of contracts every year. I cannot verify what the member is saying.Dr Russel Norman: Was it not the case that GNS Science wanted to insert a disclaimer in its updated report which was that it took no responsibility for the accuracy of the work because the model that the council provided to it was not fit for purpose—the model was not accurate?Hon NIKKI KAYE: Obviously I am answering this question on behalf of the Minister so if the member does want to provide me with further information then I am happy to have a look at that. The second thing I would say is that I am not aware again of the facts that the member raises and I think that he should put them in writing to me. But thirdly the point I would make to the member is that he is raising issues regarding the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. I am acting for the Minister of Science and Innovation. If he has issues regarding a local authority then I think there are other processes whereby he can raise those issues.Dr Russel Norman: With regard to GNS Science for which the Minister is responsible is it the case that an early report in August 2012 provided by GNS Science to the council has been used by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in its application around the dam rather than using the February 2013 amended report which highlighted the GNS Science scientists’ concerns that the report was not accurate?Hon NIKKI KAYE: Again I want to raise a couple of points. The first is that the gist of the member’s questions is around the actions of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. Again I do not have responsibility for that. In terms of the allegations he makes regarding the involvement of GNS Science I cannot verify the facts that he is saying so I would ask him to put them in writing to me after question time.Dr Russel Norman: Is the Minister able to confirm that the contract between GNS Science and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council was terminated by the regional council when GNS Science wanted to put its written concerns into a report indicating that the results of the report would not be accurate because the model provided by the regional council was wrong?Hon NIKKI KAYE: In one of my previous answers I gave you what I have received in terms of advice as to why the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said the contract was terminated and it is that the council opted to change its management strategy for theRuataniwha Plains meaning that the contracted modelling work was no longer considered relevant. I am also advised that this is not unusual for this type of work.Dr Russel Norman: Is it not the case that the change in management that the regional council was referring to was that the report it was getting from GNS Science was not the kind of report it wanted because GNS Science was determined to put into the report its concerns about the accuracy of the groundwater modelling that the regional council provided to it?Hon NIKKI KAYE: Again I think that there are a number of questions that the member is asking that relate to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for which I am not responsible. If the member has questions for the council I suggest he contact the council directly. If he has a concern about a local authority he might direct a question to the Minister of Local Government. But again I repeat what I have said before. If there are things that he wants to provide further information to me on I am happy to receive that after question time. In terms of the allegations that he makes I cannot verify what he is saying.Dr Russel Norman: Is the Minister aware that two of the three GNS Science scientists who worked on the report for the regional council and raised concerns about the accuracy of the science provided by the council no longer work at GNS Science?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I cannot verify again the facts that the member raises. But what I would say to the member again is that from previous experience in terms of question time—and I cannot verify what he has said—there may be a range of reasons why particular individuals do not work for an organisation. It may have nothing to do with the various conspiracy theories the member is putting forward.Dr Russel Norman: As the Minister of Science and Innovation is he concerned that science is not being listened to in the Tukituki catchment process around this dam the Department of Conservation’s scientific submission has been suppressed the concerns of the Ministry for Primary Industries were suppressed and now GNS Science scientists’ concerns were also suppressed?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I disagree with the assertions made in that member’s question.