The Greens say job cuts at Niwa's Central Otago climate research centre will hurt New Zealand's international reputation and highlight the Government's lack of commitment to climate change science.
The centre at Lauder, between Alexandra and Ranfurly, is looking at cutting 2.8 equivalent full-time positions from its staff of 11 scientists, which has some in the scientific community up in arms.
It comes after staff numbers were cut from 16 during the last three years.
Green Party environment spokeswoman Eugenie Sage says the Government is "proposing crippling cuts" to the research centre.
"The plan to disinvest in a top climate science research centre, combined with the recent weakening of our Emissions Trading Scheme, reveals the Government's lack of commitment to international climate change science," she said.
"It also undermines the good reputation of New Zealand's scientific community."
New Zealand Association of Scientists past president James Renwick says the cuts will spell the end of Lauder's world-class climate measurement science programme.
Scientific capability of that quality took decades to develop but could be destroyed with the "flick of a bureaucrat's pen", he told Fairfax.
Niwa general manager of research Rob Murdoch says 2.8 fulltime equivalent staff positions will be cut as Niwa rearranges strategies within its atmospheric and climate research. A final decision is expected by the end of the month.
Rather than focusing on UV and health implications of the hole in the ozone layer, it wanted to look a the hole's influence on climate, he said.
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