TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS The attached transcript, while an accurate recording of evidence given in the course of the hearing day, is not proofread prior to circulation and thus may contain minor errors. 2015/16 HAZELWOOD MINE FIRE INQUIRY MORWELL WEDNESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2015 THE HONOURABLE BERNARD TEAGUE AO - Chairman MRS ANITA ROPER - Board Member PROFESSOR JOHN CATFORD - Board Member MR PETER ROZEN - Counsel Assisting MS RUTH SHANN - Counsel Assisting MR RICHARD ATTIWILL QC - State of Victoria MR ANTHONY NEAL QC - GDF Suez MS MARITA FOLEY - GDF Suez MR CHRIS BLANDEN QC - Dr Rosemary Lester MS KATE BURGESS - Dr Rosemary Lester MS MELANIE SZYDZIK - Voices of the Valley MS MEGAN FIZTGERALD - Voices of the Valley MR RAY TERNES - Voices of the Valley DTI Corporation Australia Pty Ltd 4/190 Queen Street, Melbourne Telephone: 8628 5555 Facsimile: 9642 5185
1 could say about the work that Associate Professor Barnett 2 had done other than to note his conclusions were similar to 3 the conclusions you reached, is that a fair summary of what 4 you said?---That's right, there was a lot of uncertainty 5 around the estimates that we both came up with. We both 6 did a particular kind of statistical modelling of Poisson 7 regression, yes. So from early in this year of working on 8 this project I did feel that I was not the one to analyse 9 those papers; correct, that is correct. 10 Did something change between that time in September 2014 and 11 when you ultimately did provide the appraisal of his work 12 that meant you felt you were better placed to do that 13 work?---Nothing changed with respect to myself and my 14 abilities, the brief from the health department changed, 15 specifically we were asked to do a much more comprehensive 16 analysis, we were provided with many different data sets 17 and also there was a second paper that Associate Professor 18 Barnett had written. So the request that came to us in 19 early this year was will you analyse and expand a data set 20 and will you comment on both of those papers that doctor - 21 and you will see that became the terms of reference to the 22 second brief. 23 Yes?---Right? 24 Yes?---Okay, so in that time I was in the first instance doing a 25 rapid analysis with Professor English's input on the first 26 report. Now, the project came to be a much larger project, 27 much more was required in terms of analysis, a much more 28 comprehensive analysis a requirement to look at a lot of 29 different kinds of data, there was in particular the 30 requirement to look at the mortality data and the cause of 31 death data and the requirement to analyse the methods and
1 CHAIRMAN: Yes, thank you. Mr Rozen. 2 MR ROZEN: In no particular order, I assure you, gentlemen, if I 3 can start with Associate Professor Adrian Barnett and just 4 seek from you some formal matters before I ask you about 5 the issues of interest to the Inquiry. You have included 6 with your materials that have been provided to the Inquiry, 7 Associate Professor Barnett, your curriculum vitae. 8 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: Yes. 9 MR ROZEN: And for the benefit of others in the room, it is 10 behind tab 9 in the hearing book and you probably don't 11 have a copy in front of you, associate professor, but 12 equally you probably know it pretty well, I'm guessing. 13 Can I just summarise your background. You have a PhD in 14 mathematics from the University of Queensland. 15 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: Yes. 16 MR ROZEN: And that was awarded to you in December 2002. 17 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: Yes. 18 MR ROZEN: The topic is on the use of the bispectrum to detect 19 and model non-linearity. 20 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: That's right. 21 MR ROZEN: I won't ask you to explain what that means. In terms 22 of your present employment, you're an associate professor 23 with the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and 24 the School of Public Health at Queensland University of 25 Technology. 26 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: That's right. 27 MR ROZEN: You have held that position since August 2010. 28 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: M'mm-hmm. 29 MR ROZEN: You set out a long list of roles you have played in 30 academia in the field of statistics and biostatistics. 31 ASSOC. PROF BARNETT: Yes.