Ag. researchers gathered at Lincoln

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 19

Ag. researchers gathered at Lincoln

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln is having a facelift as Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries staff become neighbours. New Zealand’s first major joint D.S.I.R.—M.A.F. administration building has been completed. The new complex will be known as the Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre. It will be the major base for the D.S.I.R.’s South Island activities as well as housing the headquarters of the northern South Island M.A.F. Research Division.

Planning began in 1982 and work began in 1984. Laboratories and offices in the next stage of the building will be completed mid to late 1986. Costs for the whole venture run to $13.5 million and work has involved seven main contractors. Several other contractors are working on special quarantine glasshouses, climate rooms and seed stores.

“The major practical advantage of the shared facilities is that they will encourage the development and implementation of cooperative research with M.A.F. scientists,” said Dr Mike Dunbier, director of the Crop Research Division, D.S.I.R.

“It is difficult to set up collaborative trials when scientists are dispersed. Social and regular personal

contact is a definite benefit of the complex,” he added.

The 200 D.S.I.R. research personnel, 80 M.A.F. Research Division and 35 M.A.F. Advisory Division staff have a shared reception area and foyer, cafeteria, conference room and illustratioin suite.

Co-operation between D.S.I.R. and M.A.F. graphic artists and photographers would improve the standard of publicity material.

Work done at the centre would be more attractively presented to the commercial sector now that equipment and resources were shared, said Dr Dunbier.

At a time when research was becoming more finetuned to the needs of indusry the release of information to consumers was an increasingly important area, he said.

The new D.S.I.R. tissue culture facilities and food technology laboratories are another attempt to keep pace with changes facing scientific institutes in this country.

“We will be able to do a lot more in the new genetic manipulaton and food product development areas,” Dr Dunbier explained. These latter facilities would give research at the division a more applied angle, he added.