increase font size
Education Minister Chris Hipkins rejected the proposed joint facility project late last year.
Lincoln University and AgResearch will consider separate building options as an alternative to a much-anticipated joint facility building that never got beyond a fenced site.
However, both say collaboration on the Lincoln campus remains a priority.
The $206 million project is dead-in-the-water following Education Minister Chris Hipkins’ rejection of another revised business case seeking Government funding.
The building as currently designed cannot be built without a Crown contribution, Lincoln’s acting vice-chancellor Bruce McKenzie said in a statement.
Hipkins said in December 2018 that while he remained supportive of the joint facility project he would not endorse the business case in its current form.
“In the view of the minister, the implementation business case did not meet Treasury guidelines.”
McKenzie says AgResearch is progressing a feasibility study for a separate building. But both parties are discussing how to work together to realise the benefits of a joint facility.
“In due course the Lincoln University council will receive a series of options to consider, including options to progress a separate build project.
“As has always been a priority, Lincoln University will continue to look at ways to collaborate with partners including AgResearch to achieve the benefits of the Lincoln precinct.”
McKenzie says Lincoln has the capacity to progress its own capital works projects.
“Planning for campus wide capital projects, undertaken in 2018, continues and will be considered by the council at the appropriate time.”
An AgResearch spokesperson told Rural News the parties are working together on new plans to construct a Lincoln education, research and innovation precinct for AgResearch staff after deciding a joint facility would not be built.
“We will continue to talk to interested stakeholders about their future involvement and our strategic plans and staff relocation intentions remain unchanged.”
The 27,000sq.m building was supposed to embody the Lincoln Hub concept to foster collaboration in R&D in farming. It would have housed 700 agricultural science staff from Lincoln University, AgResearch and DairyNZ, and more tenants in future.
But the building site has largely remained fenced off, overgrown and idle since a VIP ground-breaking ceremony in August 2017.
AgResearch scientist Dr Dave Leathwick believes there’s a strong case for thinking twice about the practice that is routinely carried out by around 80% of sheep farmers as part of their pre-lamb animal health treatments.
The “mythology” of regenerative agriculture and lack of scientific evidence has prompted two renowned plant scientists to write to Ag Minister Damien O’Connor.
New research from Lincoln University has revealed that the genetic disposition of dairy cows could significantly reduce nitrate leaching.
Lincoln University has unveiled plans for what is expected to be a globally-unique Energy Demonstration Farm to help the primary sector meet its future zero-carbon obligations.
New Zealand’s Young Horticulturist of the Year is once again a viticulturist.
The government’s new freshwater laws, signed off this week, have the potential to create significant unnecessary costs for ratepayers, farmers and entire communities, Federated Farmers says.
Final harvest data for wheat, barley and oats (milling/malting and feed) in 2020 show yields were up 17% overall across the six crops.
DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says the joint decision three years ago to eradicate Mycoplamsa bovis was a difficult call.
Cutting edge technology designed to simulate biosecurity threats has emerged from the collaboration of two Hamilton companies.
DeLaval has come away with the runner up prize in this year’s Fieldays Online innovation competition with a new milking cluster that eliminates the need for conventional liner changes.
Thomas Lundman's work focus has gone from tracking tiny critters in pitch black caves to looking after considerably larger animals in paddocks near Whakatane.
Your old mutt was not surprised to see the NZ Dairy Industry Awards hastily remove the title of this year’s…
Your canine crusader has been a long-time critic of NZ governments – of all stripes – who, for the past…
