Research Station’s Move From Ashburton In A Year

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28446, 28 November 1957, Page 7

Research Station’s Move From Ashburton In A Year

Advice that the research station’s transfer from Ashburton to its proposed site at Lincoln will not now be made until December next year or January, 1959, nas been received from the head office in Wellington, said the senior research officer of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research’s entomological station in Ashburton (Mr J. M. Kelsey)

yesterday.- The proposal to move the station to Lincoln, as the first part of a programme to centralise all D.S.I.R. divisions on the one site, was first suggested about three years ago. Approval has been given by Cabinet for the construction of a large block on the crop research division’s area at Lincoln to house all divisions of the D.5.1.R., including botany, grasslands, and entomological research divisions. Plans and specifications for the building, which is estimated to cost £70,000, have been prepared, and it is hoped to begin work bn the project by April next year. “The centralisation of the divisions will be a distinct advantage in that all departments can work in conjunction with one another in much of the closely related research work undertaken.*’ said Mr Kelsey. The close cooperation which can be obtained between the divisions working in the one area will be of considerable assistance in enabling the department to evolve improved strains of plants having resistance to various pests and diseases, he said.

Mr Kelsey will retain his present post as senior research officer of the entomological division in the new premises. The division is responsible for, and specialises in. research on insect pests of pastures throughout New Zealand.

The store-garage on the existing premises in Ashburton will be moved to Lincoln, where it will serve as a chemical control block. All laboratory research equipment will also be taken to Lincoln.

The main office-laboratory block at the station may be removed to the Winchmore irrigation research station, near Ashburton, to house the chemistry fcectio»*pf the Irrigation station. **