Prosser Richard: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeProsser Richard: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 02 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:982. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.RICHARD PROSSER (NZ First)to the Minister for Primary Industries: Does he stand by all his statements in relation to the Nutrient Management Tool OVERSEER?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):Yes.Richard Prosser: Since the Minister stated last week that the OVERSEER experience of New Zealand’s largest fertiliser cooperative Ravensdown is anecdotal is that also how he would describe the concerns of hundreds of dryland farmers in the Hurunui-Waiau zone committee who met in September regarding stringent nutrient management limits that have been determined using OVERSEER?Hon NATHAN GUY: No what I will say is that the member needs to be aware of the chief scientific officer Ants Roberts who works at Ravensdown when he said that some compromises and assumptions are needed to be made in running any model like OVERSEER on complex farm systems.Richard Prosser: Even accepting a recent apology does the Minister condone Environment Canterbury commissioner David Bedford for using expletives towards farmers after they questioned nutrient limits based on OVERSEER or are reports of such abuse also anecdotal?Hon NATHAN GUY: Well I do not have any ministerial responsibility for those comments. What I will say is that OVERSEER has been around for 20 years. It is evolving. It is improving all the time. It is an important nutrient management tool and we have got regional councils involved in working with the Ministry for Primary Industries to ensure that we are focused on the national guidelines and how OVERSEER is managing nutrients going forward.Richard Prosser: Given that respected soil scientist Dr Doug Edmeades has summarised that type A errors in OVERSEER could be in the range of minus 40 percent to plus 60 percent and that type B errors could be in the plus or minus 30 percent range will the Minister assure farmers that he will ensure Budget funding to fully and properly calibrate OVERSEER?Hon NATHAN GUY: There is about $1.6 million invested in OVERSEER at the moment. The three owners are involved—that is the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand the Ministry for Primary Industries and AgResearch—in making contributions in kind. They are currently looking at the funding model going forward and there are a variety of funding options available as demand picks up.Richard Prosser: I seek leave to table two documents. The first is the 2013 evidence of Dr Doug Edmeades at the hearing of submissions on the proposed Canterbury land and water regional forum.Mr SPEAKER: And the second document?Richard Prosser: The other is the 2013 Foundation for Arable Research report entitled A peer review of OVERSEER in relation to modelling nutrient flows and arable crops. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is for the House to decide. On the basis they are not easy for members to obtain I will put the leave and members can decide. Leave is sought to table those two documents. Is there any objection? There is none. They can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.