An open letter by Colin Meurk ONZM regarding possible move of research base from South Island.
Time is running out. We must understand the looming dire consequences of losing the last Govt Head Office (HO) in the South Island. We must SECURE the HO of the new BIOECONOMY Public Research Organisation (PRO) in the Super South.
The official amalgamation of Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Plant & Food, Scion & AgResearch commences on 1st of July. Decisions on location of HO are being hatched as we speak. Plant & Food is pressuring Govt to get it in the Golden Triangle. Currently, Manaaki Whenua & AgResearch have their HOs at Lincoln. Yet heads of 3 of the 4 component CRIs in the PRO, & key Govt Science advisors, all currently live in the North Island/Auckland.
Thankyou Nuk Korako who alerted the Minister of South Island (James Meager) of my earlier message. But his office came back and said while noting my comments he was too busy to discuss. That won’t halt the wheels in motion. And what could be more important for the South right now?
Losing the last Government Head Offices to the north would be disastrous for our mana, status, influence, authority, respect, dignity, meaningful career pathways, town & gown partnerships, and associated flow of money to southern regions – especially Selwyn District. This calls for an uncompromising demand to Government NOW; to maintain this critical HO in Lincoln – there is plenty of state-owned land & infrastructure there to expand as required.
This is all happening while Canterbury and the Super South are becoming the favoured location for young people and business as Cost of Living escalates in the North and extreme climate is likely more prevalent there, not to mention imminent geological disasters. If fair regional development itself is not enough, Government function needs to be devolved to regions to spread the risk of significant disruption. Yet the last budget had no infrastructural spending in the South Island. We have been hollowed out by successive govts and made irrelevant!
Some things cannot wait! This an existential crisis for the South Island (Te Waipounamu). It is vital we come together now and demand the Super South HOLDs onto the HO of the new BioEconomy PRO! I call on all Councils and Iwi to gather together and urgently respond
Ngā mihi nui, Colin
Further Relevant History of Science Management in South Island
Over the past 33 years the South Island had at least 2 Central Government Head Offices (HO) – Crop & Food and Landcare Research CRIs.
A decade or so ago, Crop & Food was amalgamated with Hort Research to form Plant & Food whose HO was ‘stolen’ up to Hamilton/Auckland. Meanwhile, AgResearch HO was moved to Lincoln. The Government announced some months ago that it will amalgamate 4 CRIs into the so-called Bioeconomy PRO. I’ll leave the naming issue for later!
I know there are moves afoot to locate the HO to Hamilton, probably being promoted by Plant & Food, the CEO of Landcare Research, the interim chief of the PRO, and Sir Peter Gluckman (key Science advisor to Government) all based up North. The cards are stacked to further hollow out the South UNLESS concerted joint pressure is exerted by Councils and Iwi of the South.
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