PM says public service cuts are necessary
VIDEO CREDIT: RNZ
It was launched less than a year ago, and already jobs are being slashed at the Government’s new science institute.
Formed in July 2025 from the merger of AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research, and Scion, the Bioeconomy Science Institute was established to optimise the use of biological resources and protect the natural environment.
Initially, the institute had 2300 staff; however, on Friday, it was announced the institute would shed 6% of its staff, with a voluntary redundancy process resulting in 134 staff members agreeing to leave.
The jobs being cut include 86 science roles and 48 professional services roles, such as finance and administration, RNZ reported.
The job losses come on top of the disestablishment of another crown research institute, Callaghan Innovation, last year, which resulted in over 60 job losses.
The latest cuts have been criticised by the Public Service Association (PSA), with national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons saying the Government was “waging a war on science” and setting up the institution to fail.
“It should never have come to this. This institution employs people that are critical to New Zealand’s science system, and now they are being lost,” she told Stuff.
Fitzsimons said the institute was critical to driving economic growth and ensuring New Zealand can meet the environmental challenges of the future.
“The last thing they need is to lose 134 dedicated professionals. We need to see the Government admit it has got it wrong when it comes to science.”
She said other countries will now be the beneficiaries of the job losses at the institute, with workers disappointed that the Government has not invested enough in the sector.
“We can’t afford to lose people in our science system. What we should be doing is making sure that salaries and conditions are internationally competitive instead of imposing job losses and cuts.”
Labour has also criticised the cuts, with the party’s jobs spokesperson Ginny Anderson calling the move “ludicrous”.
Anderson told Stuff the Wellington region had reached “rock bottom” in morale when it came to the cuts in the public service.
“It is really disheartening to see a Government that doesn’t back Kiwi ingenuity and doesn’t back Kiwi bright ideas that can actually make our economy more competitive globally.”
Anderson said the Government should “stop firing” people if it is serious about building the science sector.
The Government, though, is backing its reforms in the sector while saying staffing decisions at the Bioeconomy Science Institute are made at the board level.
Dr Shane Reti has defended changes the Government has made in the science sector. Photo: Alex Cairns/Stuff
Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Shane Reti told Stuff in a statement the cuts at the institute were a voluntary redundancy round and that operational decisions around staffing sat with the board.
He said that public research organisations (PROs) have had to adjust to remain financially sustainable in a tight fiscal environment, and that he expects PRO boards to manage their organisations responsibly while continuing to deliver excellent science.
Reti said the Government remains committed to a strong, modern science system that supports economic growth and resilience while delivering tangible outcomes that benefit all New Zealanders.