Antarctica New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Scott Base
Scott Base is a research facility located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two British expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica...
. It has run other bases in the past, such as Vanda Station
Vanda Station
Vanda Station was an Antarctic research base in the western highlands of the Ross Dependency, specifically on the shore of Lake Vanda, at the mouth of Onyx River, in the Wright Valley...
.
New Zealand's involvement in Antarctica began in 1923, when activities were closely connected with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Close cooperation with other nations has been an important part of New Zealand's involvement in Antarctica.
Since 1959 Scott Base has been New Zealand's permanent base in Antarctica. A 1994 review recognised Antarctica as strategically important to New Zealand as a Southern Hemisphere nation. This resulted in the establishment of the New Zealand Antarctic Institute, known as Antarctica New Zealand, on 1 July 1996.
The Institute reports up to the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Antarctic Policy Unit. It is a Crown entity
Crown entities
A Crown entity is an organisation that forms part of New Zealand's state sector established under the Crown Entities Act 2004, a unique umbrella governance and accountability statute...
, and has a CEO and a Board. Members of the Board are appointed for three years by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in consultation with the Board Chair. This period may be extended by the Minister for up to a further three years.
Members are collectively accountable to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the performance of Antarctica New Zealand. All delegated functions and powers within Antarctica New Zealand arise from the Board's delegations.
The Board’s role is governance. Specific functions within this overall role include:
Setting the strategic direction of Antarctica New Zealand and developing policy, in a manner consistent with the organisation’s statutory framework for example through the Annual Business Plan
Ensuring compliance with the law, accountability documents and relevant Crown expectations. This includes financial responsibility for all money received by the Crown and reinforcing expectations of behaviour that are appropriate to a public body
Appointing the Chief Executive.
Monitoring the performance of Antarctica New Zealand and the Chief Executive; and
Maintaining appropriate relationships with the Minister, Parliament and the public. This includes accounting for the performance and management of the organisation.
The Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and management of Antarctica New Zealand.
Antarctica New Zealand is located at the International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
.
See also Ross Dependency
Ross Dependency
The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south...
, Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
Timeline of New Zealand's links with Antarctica
This is a timeline of the history of New Zealand's involvement with Antarctica.-Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries:1773*17 January Captain James Cook and the crews of his expedition's ships, Resolution and Adventure, become the first explorers to cross the Antarctic Circle1770s – 1830s*Sealers and...
, New Zealand Antarctic Research Program.