It comes after the Old Golds wrapped up a disappointing season, bowing out of the competition in their Lochore Cup semifinal last weekend.
The union’s chief executive felt Heartland rugby was a true representation of grassroots community sport in New Zealand.
All 12 unions were well resourced for coaches and management, and the competition was packed with talented players.
But he took aim at New Zealand Rugby, claiming they did not not appreciate Heartland rugby, and did not support the competition as an avenue for players to earn higher honours.
"It is not given the accolades, or respect, that it should get and, of course, we can’t go anywhere," Jackson said.
"New Zealand Rugby need to, should have, and very disappointingly, have done nothing about making Heartland a pathway into NPC.
"I’ll probably be long gone by the time they wake up and realise that NPC one, two and three was such a superb competition, full of excitement.
"I’ve been saying this now for 18 years and it continues to fall on deaf ears."
The Old Golds failed to reach their full potential this season, and instead collapsed with a disappointing Lochore Cup semifinal loss at home last Saturday.
They fell 40-35 to Poverty Bay — after leading 25-7 at halftime — who only won two games during the regular season.
The season followed a similar pattern to the year before, when the Old Golds were swept by Mid Canterbury at home in the same second-tier semifinal.
"I think we failed to deliver on the obvious promise that we showed early on," Jackson said.
The Old Golds finished the regular season with four wins and four losses and started on the back of good preseason hit-outs against the Southland Stags, Southland B and Otago Country.
They prepared well, starting with a hiss and a roar, putting on "big points" against good Mid Canterbury and Wairarapa-Bush teams in the opening two rounds.
"Then we just lost our way a little bit. Obviously at the end ... we really didn’t fulfill an 80-minute game.
"The backs were very disappointing ... tackling became optional."
North Otago lost to defending champions South Canterbury, but showed a huge amount of heart to almost steal the win, and came from behind to snatch a 34-33 win over Thames Valley in Maheno.
Jackson felt their forward pack was outstanding, and a dominant scrum gave the Old Golds a good platform.
But those behind the forward pack failed to fire, he said.
"We lacked composure and control of the games.
"How can you throw away the lead we had up in Gisborne against Poverty Bay and then last weekend?
"The players on the field who are running the game ... it was disappointing."
Among the standout players for Jackson were hooker
Hayden Tisdall, who wore his heart on his sleeve and could be "very proud of the way he played", and standout No8 Junior Fakatoufifita, another huge ball carrier.
The union would now do a review of the season, but it was not all "doom and gloom" as the depth in the region increased.
"You only have to look at our development team winning the Hanan Cup for the first time since 2006, which was a brilliant, brilliant effort.
"We came off a good club competition, but one of the things that we have to find is leaders in the backs who can run the game for us."
North Otago rugby was still in good heart, with booming numbers and a strong club competition, he said.
The union will host the New Zealand Heartland XV v New Zealand Barbarians game at Whitestone Contracting Stadium on November 4.
