NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

$206 million Lincoln University research facility scrapped

By Jonathan Leask of the Selwyn App
NZ Herald·
14 Feb, 2019 10:53 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Lincoln University. Photo / File

Lincoln University. Photo / File

Plans for a $206 million research facility at Lincoln University have been scrapped.

And Selwyn MP Amy Adams has laid the blame for the failure at the feet of the Education Minister Chris Hipkins, saying the lack of support from the Government was a "slap in the face".

AgResearch has opted to ditch a planned joint facility with Lincoln University in favour of building its own facility at the campus.

Earthworks had already started on the 27,000-square metre facility, but the Government rejected a third business case seeking $85m in government funding for the joint facility in December.

AgResearch is now initiating a feasibility study to advance its long-standing strategy to build an innovation precinct in Lincoln.

"At present we are evaluating all options," AgResearch chief executive Tom Richardson said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We remain committed to the principles of a campus development strategy that enables a more seamless collaboration between students, academics, researchers and business.

"To advance this process, AgResearch plans to build new facilities and offices for our staff which we can also share with other researchers and partners in the future.

"We will continue to talk to interested stakeholders about their future involvement. Our strategic plans, staff-relocation intentions remain unchanged."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The only change is it is no longer a joint project, which leaves the university, already likely to merge or form partnership with Canterbury University after issues around its financial sustainability and direction, in the lurch and out of pocket from the joint venture's collapse.

Lincoln University acting vice-chancellor Phil O'Callaghan said the university will continue to progress its own programme of capital works projects with recommendations to be considered by the university's council at the appropriate time.

"Lincoln University and AgResearch will continue discussions to look at options to realise the benefits of the joint-facility project," he said.

AgResearch's own build will be on the university campus but the where and when were yet to be decided, O'Callaghan said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Why our 'junk' DNA could be hiding disease breakthroughs

16 Feb 08:00 PM
New Zealand|politics

Labour Party begins review of Budget Responsibility Rules

18 Feb 01:28 AM

"This will form part of our own going discussions with timelines and details to be considered by the university's council and AgResearch board."

Adams laid the blame for the joint facility failure at the feet of the Education Minister, Chris Hipkins.

Selwyn District MP Amy Adams. Photo / NZ Herald
Selwyn District MP Amy Adams. Photo / NZ Herald

"This decision is a slap in the face for Lincoln University and our land-based sectors.

"I am astonished that the Government cannot grasp the importance of nurturing research that could help New Zealand and the global community meet the challenges of providing food for the world's population in an environmentally sustainable way.

"Unfortunately, the minister seems unwilling to recognise the critical role of Lincoln University as a niche provider of industry-focused tertiary education, as demonstrated by his previous efforts to force Lincoln to merge with Canterbury University.

Adams said Hipkins' rejection of the business case was a huge blow for Selwyn – as the facility would have been the largest land-based sciences research centre in the southern hemisphere.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This is such a wasted opportunity to do something great," Adams said.

"This must be laid squarely at the feet of the Government playing games over the future of Lincoln Uni and the hub.

"Lincoln could make NZ the Silicon Valley of Agritech but this is just another way this Government has turned their backs on agriculture."

Award for building that will no longer be built

The design of the Lincoln University and AgResearch Joint Facility had architects Warren and Mahoney internationally recognised with the Best in Category Award for Education - Future Project at last year's World Architecture Festival.

However, after the groundworks were complete the project was left at a standstill when AgResearch and Lincoln University were unable find a contractor to meet their budget for the award-winning design.

There was criticism that the design of the proposed joint facility was too elaborate making the construction costs too high but O'Callaghan said efforts were made during discussions with the potential lead contractor to deliver the project on budget.

"During this time a number of value engineering initiatives were considered in order to make the build more affordable."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

While they found some significant cost savings and settled on a preferred contractor in September, it was still not deemed affordable enough by Hipkins who withheld the $85m of government funding by declining the business case for a third time as the plan didn't meet Treasury guidelines.

It is understood that the funding is still on the table if the university can produce plans for a project with a complete business case including the cost, lead contractor and a construction plan in accordance with the Treasury guidelines.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island

New Zealand

Missing Upper Hutt man found 'safe and well'

Wellington

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island
New Zealand

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island

Heavy rain watches have been issued for Northland and Auckland from early tomorrow.

16 Jul 09:13 AM
Missing Upper Hutt man found 'safe and well'
New Zealand

Missing Upper Hutt man found 'safe and well'

16 Jul 08:37 AM
Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal
Wellington

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal

16 Jul 08:10 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP