Legislation that unites New Zealand’s trusted weather forecasting agencies has successfully passed its first reading.
“The Meteorological Services (Acquisition and Policies) Legislation Amendment Bill will enable Earth Sciences New Zealand to formally acquire MetService, bringing together our key meteorological and climate expertise and infrastructure, strengthening New Zealand’s understanding and response to climate and natural hazards,” Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti said.
According to State-Owned Enterprises Minister Simeon Brown, the legislation “also aims to remove the fragmentation that occurs through having two government-owned companies in weather forecasting.”
The Meteorological Services (Acquisition and Policies) Legislation Amendment Bill introduces technical adjustments enabling Earth Sciences NZ to assume responsibility for MetService, including the removal of MetService from the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986. It also involves amending the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992 to mandate Earth Sciences NZ to release its policy on access to observational weather data.
It also includes exempting the acquisition from Part 3 of the Commerce Act 1986 (Commerce Act) on public policy grounds, based on the view that the public benefits of integration surpass any theoretical competition issues. However, the Commerce Act will still apply as usual after the acquisition.
“New Zealanders will continue to see MetService’s known and trusted brand reporting on the weather, and MetService will remain the country’s internationally authorised meteorologist. This will ensure both continuity and a single, authorised voice for public safety messaging in times of severe weather,” Brown said.
“Bringing MetService and Earth Sciences New Zealand together means more Kiwis will be able to access clearer insights into our climate, more accurate long-term weather forecasting and faster warnings.”