Lincoln University yesterday announced the outcome of consultation at its Telford division. Sixteen of the original 17 jobs consulted on have gone and the future of the campus depends on the decisions of two organisations considering taking it over.
Mr Cadogan slammed the result of the consultation, which he labelled a "pantomime", as it was clear the decision had already been made.
Telford was one of the last "optional extras" the region had and the job losses were "gutting".
"It’s a sad day for our district."
"It’s a disgusting situation for us to be in."
The Government was culpable, because it introduced "competitive price tendering", which had "decimated" funding for training at the campus, he said.
When he spoke to staff at Telford, the mood was "dire".
The loss would not just be felt in the Clutha district, as students trained at Telford worked throughout New Zealand’s agricultural sector.
"It’s a loss more than just for the community, it’s a loss for New Zealand."
A Lincoln University spokeswoman said in a press release the changes were necessary as Telford had been heavily cross-subsidised by students living in the North Island taking courses delivered by third parties.
The cuts were required to prepare Telford for a future without
subsidisation, and to make it a more attractive proposition for SIT or Taratahi.
A decision about next year’s courses would be made in the "coming days" and depended on the decisions made by SIT or Taratahi.
Lincoln was working with staff, whose options included redeployment, voluntary redundancy and early retirement.
The university acknowledged it had been a difficult time for Telford staff.
Efforts to contact Telford staff were unsuccessful.
