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During November of 2009 the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MORST) released a discussion paper on New Zealand’s research, science and technology priorities. The document set out the goals and principles that will underpin public funding of science in the coming years. This paper outlined the priority areas for investment in what are to be called “strategic research platforms”. One of these strategic research platforms is related to hydrocarbons and minerals resources. This is good news for geosciences research at GNS Science and other universities, which have often lagged behind other institutions in getting a fair share of publicly funded money for research. The recognition of hydrocarbons as a significant source of wealth creation represents a mind set change from 12 months ago when the previous Labour led government was doing its best to reduce funding for scientific research in the geosciences by cancelling further funding for frontier seismic surveys of sedimentary petroleum basins. That seismic research was immediately reinstated by the new National led government in November 2008, and $15 million of funding provided for a further three year program. As I write this article, a Government contracted research vessel is in Wellington Harbour about to begin a summer seismic survey of frontier sedimentary basins. The results of this research will support future petroleum blocks offers by the Ministry of Economic Development. The current administration is to be applauded for looking at the minerals and petroleum estate in a new light. Perhaps the simple fact that in 2008 the petroleum industry returned some $900 million in royalties and taxes to the Treasury coffers made them realise the economic potential of the sector to the wider economy? The minister of Energy and Resources, Gerry Brownlee, has been a breath of fresh air in the portfolio. He hasn’t been shy to commission a review of lands managed by the Department of Conservation for their mineral potential. Predictably this has led to the usual braying in Parliament by the Greens and Maori Party complaining about the rape and pillage of our national parks by the forces of darkness. Nothing of the sort will happen. Of course identifying hydrocarbons and minerals as a source of potential wealth creation and actually banking the cheque are separated by quite a long period of government research backed up by industry investment in exploration. That expenditure isn’t always successful. The only niggle I have with the MORST discussion paper is that it doesn’t signal that any new money is being made available for the geosciences. This might well come in next year’s budget from decisions yet to be made by Government to shift investment from other areas of research investment. The decision by the UN to greatly extend the NZ exclusive economic zone was based largely on geological work done by GNS Science. I suspect that there will be at least some new funding made available in the near term that allows research into better defining the mineral and petroleum potential of those areas. One of the useful pointers in the MORST discussion paper is a desire by Government to stop investing in areas of research that does not show promise or pathways to results. This was inevitable really, there being only so much public money available. Although one can’t help but think that the current investment of 0.52 percent of GDP in research, science and technology needs a substantial boost. We languish in the bottom third of the OECD in our level of public funding for research. That needs to change. Perhaps the really hard choice that still face Government ministers is not to identify research funding that should be re-prioritised, but when to start moving Crown funding away from the bottomless pit of welfare spending, much of which produces few tangible benefits.
Energy NZ No.11 Summer 2009 |
The Government is finally in touch with the energy and resources sector, says John Pfahlert, the executive officer of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association.