Stand Up Otago

Prime Minister John Key managed to clear an ''air of tension'' in the room yesterday when he addressed the Otago Chamber of Commerce, president Peter McIntyre said.

Donaghys is bucking a trend of decline in Dunedin's manufacturing sector, taking on about 16 extra staff and making rope for Team New Zealand's America's Cup campaign.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says public investment in health services in Dunedin is ''quite good'', but the Government is not getting enough credit.

Despite constant talk of recession and a so-called ''manufacturing crisis'' people in rural Otago are still better placed now than at any time since the introduction of Rogernomics in the 1980s to set up in business, an Oamaru cheese manufacturer says.

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says he is concerned the ''Stand Up Otago'' campaign is ''a bit too negative about the South'' when it has been performing better economically than the North.

The head of AgResearch has been criticised over comments he made stressing the importance of ''regional innovation'' in the Waikato, with politicians saying the remarks contradict his plan to ''gut'' Invermay.

Gen-i was demonstrating its commitment to the local market and confidence in Dunedin as a growth region by spending $2m building a new data centre in the city, general manager Steve Mills said yesterday.

Dunedin construction companies are sending staff north for the Christchurch rebuild because of a lack of work in Dunedin.

An exodus of leading New Zealand scientists could occur after the restructuring of AgResearch's Invermay facility, former Invermay director Conway Powell says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce is being urged to review the proposal by AgResearch to cut 85 jobs from Invermay and shift them to either Lincoln or Palmerston North by 2016.

Dunedin needs to ''stand up'' to government cuts, and a new political party giving a voice to the South could be just the ticket, businessman Ian Taylor says.

A Southern delegation will deliver a message to Government about the need to grow - not cut - Dunedin's Invermay research centre.

The lack of transparency from AgResearch about the changes it plans to make to Invermay has been criticised after the crown research institute failed to respond in time to an official information request.

Dunedin's financial fortunes could be looking up, with confirmation Ngai Tahu is planning a $20 million student hostel in the city.

Staff at Invermay are angry at their treatment by AgResearch management after being told the organisation is sticking with plans to slash jobs at the Dunedin facility.

The fight to convince AgResearch's board to rethink its restructuring proposals will continue, despite confirmation of its plans to downsize Invermay.

Sarah Ramsay has some big dreams.

Enough is enough. Residents of the South have in recent months repeatedly heard myriad voices calling for regional development.

No public information about the restructuring of Invermay is likely now before October 3, its finance and business performance director, David Godwin, says.

A phone call from AgResearch's chairman has given Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull hope political pressure is being applied to keep jobs at Invermay.