- At least half a billion dollars of funding axed

- More than 350 specialist science roles scrapped

- Vital work across farming, environment and climate throttled

The Government’s ill-considered cuts to science funding and jobs will damage the country’s ability to drive new economic opportunities and manage our environmental challenges warns the Save Science Coalition.

The Coalition today released Science under threat, a report which provides for the first time a full picture of the Government’s spending cuts, and the perspectives of the science community about the damage to the New Zealand’s science and research system.

"The public science system in Aotearoa New Zealand is facing a crisis triggered by reckless and rushed government spending cuts without any real, considered understanding of its long-term impacts," said Dr Lucy Stewart, spokesperson for the Save Science Coalition.

The Save Science Coalition is a grouping of 23 unions and scientific societies, which are working together with a common interest in a well-funded and well-functioning science and research system in New Zealand.

"Our report lays bare the long-term damage the Government is inflicting on the sector. While underinvestment in science has been a long-term problem in New Zealand, the current Government has reduced funding further, and caused workers in science to move overseas to find work - a trend that will take decades to reverse.

"The Government promised evidence-based decisions yet is ploughing ahead with these cuts in the complete absence of a science strategy. All of the cuts detailed in the report have occurred before Sir Peter Gluckman’s Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) has reached any conclusions about a path forward for the science sector. Making cuts now only exacerbates existing problems that the SSAG is looking into.

"Any changes the group recommends, let alone new funding, will not be available until well after these losses have begun to occur.

"Any new funding will not represent genuine investment in the sector until it has made up for the effective funding cuts (particularly the loss of the National Science Challenges) that have already occurred.

"The Government talks a big game about driving better economic outcomes. The strongest economies in the world are those that invest in science and research with a firm eye on the long term pay-off and not invest less which seems the Government’s current plan.

"Make no mistake, right now Aotearoa’s science is under threat like never before. We risk losing our best and brightest scientists and researchers to other countries that really value them, and that will set us back for years.

"The Coalition urges the Government to think again, reverse years of under-investment and properly support this vital sector before it’s too late."

Summary - Science under threat report

The Save Science Coalition members have worked together to collate information from across the public science system, to produce the most comprehensive catalogue of the current cuts to the science sector that has been produced to date.

Science under threat details some of the work that has ended or is under threat due to the end of the National Science Challenges on 30 June this year. This includes projects looking into kauri dieback, climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, local Māori marine environment restoration projects, biodiversity and conservation decision support tools, productive farming and horticulture with better environmental outcomes. Scrapping the challenges cuts $64m of funding per year from the sector.

The Government has also axed the Wellington Science City programme which would have provided $451m to be invested in infrastructure. In addition, there have been cuts to numerous other funding streams, either now or within the next four years.

The report details cuts to specialist science jobs across Crown Research Institutes, Universities, and core public service organisations, which total between 349 - 359 roles lost or proposed to be lost so far - noting this figure is still likely to climb.

This includes Callaghan Innovation, NIWA, Scion, Department of Conservation, Ministry of Primary Industries, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry of Environment, Waka Kotahi, Massey University, Otago University and Victoria University.

Note: Expert panel discussion on the future of science tonight:

The Save Science Coalition is holding an event at Victoria University at 6pm tonight. Media are welcome to attend.

A panel of scientists and others from amongst the Save Science Coalition will be discussing the document and its implications for New Zealand. The event is being held in Lecture Theatre 1, Government Buildings, Pipitea Campus at 6pm Monday 8 July.

Background

The current Save Science Coalition members are: New Zealand Association of Scientists, Public Service Association, Te Pūkenga, Here Tikanga Mahi, Tertiary Education Union, Academic Freedom Aotearoa, NZ Society of Endocrinology, NZ Ecological Society, Council of Trade Unions, Physiological Society of New Zealand, New Zealand Institute of Forestry, New Zealand Geoscience Society, Aviation and Marine Engineers Association, New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, NZEI Te Riu Roa, Te Manatōpū Mātai Koiora Moroiti - The New Zealand Microbiological Society, New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society - Ngā Kohinga Wai o Aotearoa, Genomics for Aotearoa New Zealand, Entomological Society of New Zealand, Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand, France Aotearoa Science Technology and !nnovation (FAST!), New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists, Association for Women in the Sciences, New Zealand Marine Sciences Society, New Zealand Plant Protection Society.

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