This comes as its cash-strapped national body is criticised by the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) for seeking eight new regional co-leaders, earning up to $350,000 a year, while polytechnic staff see "no light at the end of the tunnel".
The institution announced cost cuts of 3%, or $2.7 million, in an email to staff last month ahead of its official incorporation into national polytechnic mega-merger Te Pukenga on November 1.
Te Pukenga has a forecast annual deficit of $63 million, and aims to reduce next year’s budget by $35 million.
About $10 million of this will come from work-based learning, and about $25 million from former polytechnics.
"It seems incongruent you have people receive so much money when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel that demonstrates to them that things are going to get any easier."
Staff were uncertain what the shift to Te Pukenga would mean for them in aspects such as reporting lines, he said.
The co-leadership positions emphasised collaboration and improving outcomes for Maori communities.
Having roles that reflected a Treaty of Waitangi relationship was a positive move, he said.
Te Pukenga acting chief executive Peter Winder said the pay was appropriate for the expertise and leadership expected.
"These roles will play a key role in supporting the effective integration of our delivery of in-work, face-to-face, and online learning," he said.
The integration of 24 organisations into Te Pukenga was complex, Mr Winder said.
They were working to provide certainty for staff as quickly as possible, and consultations were ongoing.
"As we make decisions, we will ensure that reporting lines and responsibilities are clear."
Support functions were being redesigned, and consultation was taking place with the polytechnic’s digital staff, and people, culture and wellbeing staff.
Any changes would occur in the next nine or 10 months, she said.
"It is likely leadership roles will be disestablished as functions are consulted on and the new structure stood up.
"It is important that our organisation is right-sized for the number of learners and it is also important that we create a structure that works for the future."
Neither Dr Gibbons nor Mr Winder provided an estimate of how many roles this could affect.
"Conversations about people’s roles will be with them and not via the media," Mr Winder said.
National Party tertiary education spokeswoman and Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds blasted the new roles as an extravagance flying in the face of cuts expected to be made by polytechnics.
"At a time when the organisation is attempting to claw back on its over-spending, we’re seeing this largesse,"Ms Simmonds said.
Teaching and support staff were on tenterhooks about the possibility of future job losses, and this would be bad for morale, she said.
