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.