Is NIWA Up To The Job?

Welcome to the Midnight Collective Broadsheet 18

Actively supporting NZ’s endangered wetland birds

NIWA monitor after flood -April 17

In a previous post (Broadsheet 3), we disclosed that NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) had installed water quality monitors on the Wharemauku, ahead of the NZTA’s contractors beginning excavation work in this area. The photo we published of this equipment shows a manicured, late summer scene, and the creek (and NIWA) has had a pretty clear run through our very late indian summer.

This creek is mercurial however and with autumn closing in fast, with it has come the first storm flushes. A large amount of vegetative material, plus flotsam from Coastlands shopping centre (We fished a supermarket trolley out of the creek a couple of weeks ago!) travels down the Wharemauku. It is a local creek, feeding off nearby steep hillsides and subject to frequent flash floods. These are usually contained within the banks but will overflow  3-4 times a year. These floods in turn, backfill the drains that feed into them, which helps lessen the risk of flooding. At the same time however, it carries a high silt content and black swamp water that comes out of these drains after every storm. (Even in summer).

NIWA monitor after flood April 29

The first two flushes have already jammed up NIWA’s presumably sensitive monitoring equipment and here are two recent photos picturing the mess. The first taken in 17 April after the first flood. NIWA finally cleaned this up around 8 days later, but 3 days after that, the collateral was back in residence where it now remains. This must be despoiling the  research results obtained from this equipment.

In putting monitors at both ends of the proposed work, NIWA hope to measure the pollution arising from the work undertaken but not with this kind of entanglement of its measuring equipment. Which raises the questions also, of just how robust this equipment is?  of how often it is tested? And how often it is replaced?

Here is a strong impression of sloppy work undertaken by scientists content to sit in their labs and watch their laptop monitors. A more serious issue is raised however by the cosy commercial relationship between these two independently operating, business-model driven,  taxpayer  funded agencies. In taking on this work NIWA is trading off its high public reputation; and there is a great deal of idealistic chatter on its website about high level outcomes, while ensuring that research is undertaken for the benefit of New Zealand

This is self promotion, so what is the reality? 

NIWA is a Crown Research Institute that operates as a stand-alone company with its own Board of Directors and Executive. So where is the independent reviewer of NIWA’s performance? Once again, like other scientific business organisations contracted by the NZTA, it seems that its peer review processes are managed ‘in house’. If NIWA wants to protect its independent reputation for scientific excellence along with its public standing then its auditing relationships must not only be independent, but be seen to be independent. This can’t be so when it has jumped so obviously into bed with its contractual employer the NZTA.

And it seems unnecessary to add, if this is going on on the Wharemauku, then it is standard practice right through this expressway's charted area. 

Track we were listening to while posting is this is the Blind Boys of Alabama’s take on Jimmy McNulty’s theme song (from Tom Waits) Way Down In The Hole

When you walk through the garden

You gotta watch your back

Well I beg your pardon

Walk the straight and narrow track

Jill Studd's Blog

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