Headline: Labour will save Invermay
AgResearch’s Invermay hub would be retained as a world class research centre under a Labour government.
“Cosmetic changes announced today do nothing to mitigate the Government’s plan to dismantle Invermay,” Dunedin North MP David Clark says.
“This is a big step backwards for the New Zealand export sector.
“The science produced out of Dunedin and in co-operation with the University of Otago goes a long way to explaining productivity gains in the sheep meet industry over recent decades.
“Despite the dramatic reduction in New Zealand’s sheep flock, NZ sheep meat exports have remained constant. This is in large part due to the science at Invermay.
“While AgResearch’s own business case rated staff retention as the number one risk to be managed, some top science staff have already left. Others have signalled an intention to leave if the plan goes ahead.
“As industry knows, the expertise of key scientists cannot be bought off the shelf.”
Dunedin South MP Clare Curran said the commercial hub surrounding the research centre was hard won and should not be done away with.
“Building up a successful hub has taken decades. Spending millions to start all over again makes no sense.
“The scientists have said they won’t shift and the people of Otago and Southland are frustrated at the proposed loss of high quality jobs from the region,” Clare Curran said.
David Clark said Labour had listened to the evidence: “We will retain Invermay and preserve the animal genetics hub, saving money and increasing agricultural productivity at the same time.”
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