Despite staff cuts confirmed this week at Lauder, Niwa's chief scientist of atmospheric research, Dr Murray Poulter, said the station would continue to be supported as a "key facility".
"Lauder celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and why is it still around? Because it's continued to evolve and it's still evolving to meet the changing science needs."
Three jobs at the facility had been under threat and those roles will be disestablished. A new position will be created to "maintain measurement quality and innovation", he said earlier this week.
The proposed cuts drew fire from international agencies and scientists working in atmospheric research, who said the move had repercussions for global research. They feared international programmes would be affected, along with the integrity of data collected at Lauder in the future.
"We knew our decision wouldn't satisfy everyone, but we have taken feedback on board, from our own staff and from national and international scientists, in coming to this decision," Dr Poulter said.
Three factors that came through in the feedback were the importance of Lauder as an observing site, the value of long-term measurements and the need for science input and oversight of those measurements.
A review was "never easy" and the people whose jobs were affected at Lauder were "pretty amazing people, actually, and all good people," he said.
In the past, Lauder had been known for measuring ozone, ultraviolet and greenhouse gas levels, but there was now a change of focus to concentrate more on the role the stratosphere played in the climate system.
Work at the station is partly funded by the Government and there is some off-shore funding, as well.
"Like any business, we have to live within the resources we get," Dr Poulter said.
There are 11 staff based at the station and that number will drop by two once the cuts take effect.
Past-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists and Victoria University Associate Prof James Renwick said Niwa needed to balance its capital investment in equipment for the station with wages for people able to operate the equipment.
He understood there were budget constraints but thought priority should have been given to continuing the Lauder operation at its current staffing levels. The science done at Lauder made it "internationally famous" and it should be supported because of its global significance, he said.
