Stormy weather

There’s a battle over “free” weather data going on behind the closed doors of the bureaucracy in Wellington. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is working on “open access to weather data” to determine whether more government-held weather information should be made available for public access. MetService and Niwa are the main government owned providers of weather and climate data, and by law, both have to try to make a profit. Forty per cent of MetService’s funding comes from selling data to the Ministry of Transport; most of the rest comes from other government agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority. Many in government circles are pushing for more of this data to be provided free, to “stimulate innovation and promote economic growth”. This leaves MetService wondering who will pay for its work when it is free and how it will still meet demands to act in a profitable way.