Money allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund should also be set aside for maintenance, PGF Minister Shane Jones says.

That is, he says, his expectation.

He's responding to a question from Rotorua Now when asked whether local authorities would be responsible for maintenance of once the programme had advanced from saplings to the mill.

'It's a mix and mingle,” the Minister of Economic Development and Forestry says in Rotorua today.

'Some of the funding that we've allocated in certain regions, we've built-in a margin for the ongoing pest eradication maintenance work.

'Obviously, the stuff that's commercial then the risks belong where they fall.”

'The expectation is that when the authorities want access to the ururaki (accident) funding we deal them.”

A fine gesture … Shane Jones pictured at Scion, with at right Craig Ford, Scion's lead researcher.

At Scion, the Minister says he's not in Rotorua to sell anything or to do anything other than to celebrate an initiative spearheaded by human capital and scientific excellence Scion represented.

It was a pleasure to hold plumage from the Arawa tribe, acknowledging former parliamentary colleague, Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick.

'We set out on this journey with not a detailed blueprint,” says Shane.

'… We settled on forestry as the key contribution to managing the pulse of climate change. And, also, to introduce better outcomes for bio-diversity and catchment management.”

He says the $1billion tree strategy is funded out of the $3 billion growth fund.

About half a billion dollars was dedicated to enable the government to put some putea (money) where its property rhetoric is, certainly where he's concerned, Shane says.

The Government did not overlook the need to reinvest in native forestry, native nurseries and to ensure science and technology gave a better outcome.

Today's funding boost of $422,000 for research announced by Scion reflected strong research carried out on the Minginui project.

Turning to Scion chief executive Julian Elder, Shane Jones says this is a classic example of where priorities are being pushed.

'The Crown is only too happy to see you doing more of these projects.”

By and large he did not associate with science, more with people who made money, he said to laughter.

He urges Scion to take the science 'out of the test tube and ensure your ideas … take root in the popular imagination of our community.”

Hemi Rolleston, back to camera, Scion's general manager of Maori Forestry Futures, welcomes Shane Jones at the science centre. Looking on from left are Sir Noble Curtis, Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick, Shane Jones, Lyall Thurston (Bay of Plenty Regional Council), Julian Elder (Scion chief executive) and Kevin Winters (BoP regional council).