Agri hub now open for business
Never mind the bricks and mortar, the Lincoln Hub is now open for business, says its recently appointed chief executive Toni Laming.
The five partners of the Lincoln Hub have appointed the architect for the first phase of the project.
The Lincoln Hub involves research, education and industry that will transform the productivity and performance of New Zealand and the world's primary sector. The five founding partners are AgResearch, DairyNZ, Landcare Research, Lincoln University and Plant & Food Research.
Hub chairman Graham Stuart says a consortium of Warren and Mahoney, Woods Bagot, Boffa Miskell and Powell Fenwick (WAM consortium) has been selected to produce a master plan for the hub.
"This involves identifying and collating the facilities requirements of each of the five partners as well as potential industry involvement," he says.
"The WAM consortium brings together a broad-based, multi-consultancy team with experience in large, complex master planning projects. These include the award-winning South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) which houses 700 researchers; as well as many other notable buildings in New Zealand and Australia."
WAM consortium project leader Graeme Finlay says they are excited to be engaged to help develop the concept for the Lincoln Hub. "The hub is a truly visionary project which will play a critical part in the growth of not only the regional but also the national economy."
Stuart says the master plan will be completed for presentation to the Science and Innovation Minister in November. Concept design will start once the master plan is approved.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).