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       NIWA job cuts could gut team of NZ's top climate modellers
        
 (HTM) Source
        
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       Niwa's Earth Systems Modelling unit looks at how oceans around the
       country might behave as greenhouse gases heat the planet. File photo.
       Photo: AFP / CAIA / Science Photo Library
        
       Job cuts at Crown-owned science company NIWA (National Institute of
       Water and Atmospheric Research) could cull a team of New Zealand's top
       climate modellers, RNZ understands.
        
       The Earth Systems Modelling team is a highly specialised unit, which
       helps improve the understanding of New Zealand's future climate, such
       as how food-growing conditions could change and how oceans around the
       country might behave as greenhouse gases heat the planet.
        
       Because the world's best climate models - intricate equations
       simulating the atmosphere, land and seas - are developed in the
       Northern hemisphere, they do not cope well with factors that influence
       New Zealand, such as the Southern Ocean, and local ozone and clouds.
        
       The small team improved both the global models used by the
       international community for the Southern Hemisphere, and projections
       of climate change for New Zealand - and is still working on filling
       significant holes in understanding.
        
       Sources outside the company confirmed they were aware of the proposal,
       but NIWA said it would not be commenting while consultation was
       underway.
        
       One outside researcher who was told of the proposal said the skills in
       the team "were like hen's teeth" and the researchers would be snapped
       up overseas, losing the country valuable expertise.
        
       The website of the Deep South National Science Challenge shows Deep
       South extensively funded the team's work on making a New Zealand Earth
       System Model.
        
       But funding for the 10-year, $680 million Science Challenges expires
       soon, and the government has not announced a replacement model for
       science funding.
        
       RNZ understands the proposal is part of a cost-cutting push at NIWA
       that could also see the loss of Auckland air quality scientists, as
       well as several social scientists who help communities adapt to
       climate change.
        
       Asked about these plans, and whether New Zealand would retain critical
       climate modelling skills, NIWA emailed a statement: "We won't be
       commenting further whilst the consultation and review process is
       underway".
        
       The 700 staff at the company face losing 90 jobs all up, according to
       the PSA, with 30 of them currently vacant.
        
       NIWA has said the cuts would have no impact on its core work,
       according to the union.
        
       Science Minister Judith Collins said she was not aware of the cuts to
       climate modelling.
        
       "I have to leave these decisions up to NIWA. As a minister I don't get
       involved," she told RNZ.
        
       She said the science sector advisory group was working to avoid
       double-ups between the work of different Crown Research Institutes and
       the process had some time to run.
        
        
        
        
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