fbpx
Print this page
Thursday, 21 March 2019 08:21

Going their separate ways?

Written by  Nigel Malthus
Education Minister Chris Hipkins rejected the proposed joint facility project late last year. 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.

More like this

Big opportunities in 'wellness' for red meat

Crown research institute AgResearch has partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to survey attitudes among red meat eaters in Australia and the United States towards physical and mental wellness related to consumption of meat.

State funding for plant-based foods

Crown research institute AgResearch has received close to $13 million in government funding to help advance opportunities for New Zealand in both plant-based food ingredient and cell-based protein markets.

EPA clarifies GMO definition, researchers happy

Researchers are celebrating an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) ruling that removes restrictions on the use of null segregants- descendants from genetically modified organisms but do not contain genetic modifications themselves.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…