No public information about the restructuring of Invermay is likely now before October 3, its finance and business performance director, David Godwin, says.
In an email to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Godwin responded to the newspaper's official information request for details of the restructuring.
The Crown research institute is planning to shift 85 Invermay jobs to either Christchurch or Palmerston North. More than 100 jobs from Ruakura, near Hamilton, face the same fate.
The ODT requested the reasons for the centralisation of AgResearch in Christchurch and Palmerston North.
The final consultation with staff ends on Thursday but many now believe the decision is a foregone conclusion, despite the best efforts of the Dunedin City Council and other community leaders to persuade Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce to take an overall view of the good Invermay research contributes to the overall economy.
While the Government has said it will leave the final decision to the board, it does have the right to sack the board. That suggests a level of influence.
Mr Godwin said the ODT request had been carefully considered, along with similar requests from others.
''That has involved consultation with a number of senior executives at AgResearch and careful review by a number of AgResearch staff of information that might be of assistance to you.
''As you might imagine, the degree of consultation required to properly consider the requests and the information involved has taken quite some time during a busy period.''
That had led to the decision to make a ''certain amount'' of information available publicly, he said.
The intention was to make the information available on the AgResearch website on October 3, which was soon after the consultation process would be completed.
''Accordingly, AgResearch is, in part, withholding information based on section 18(d) of the Official Information Act, as it will be made publicly available,'' he said.
The Future Footprint Project had been operating for at least two years and during that time AgResearch had accumulated a significant volume of documentation that fitted within the scope of the OIA request, Mr Godwin said.
Accordingly, AgResearch was also withholding information because it could not be supplied without substantial collation.
Citing several parts of the Act, Mr Godwin explained why it was impossible to release the information before the decision was made public on October 3.
However, he was ''happy'' to assist in determining a more limited scope of the ODT's request. Dunedin mayoral and city council candidate Pete George said the lack of transparency from AgResearch was disgraceful.
''This makes it look like they don't think people will like their plans and motives, or they don't have confidence in what appears to be decisions already made.''
Pressure should be continued on AgResearch and as much as possible should be done to try to save Invermay, he said.
''But I get the feeling this is yet another case of too little, too late.''
One of the first priorities of the incoming council and mayor had to be setting up a more effective working relationship between local government and local MPs, alongside local business, research and education organisations.
Dunedin and Otago needed to be far more proactive and become far more aware of potential problems and opportunities.
''We can be far more effective getting in early and strongly. The mayor and council can't keep waiting until it's too late - or election time,'' Mr George said.
