The man behind the South's proposed involvement in the world's largest radio telescope project is "bitterly disappointed" by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) announcement.
On Friday it was confirmed hosting rights for the SKA project would be split between Australia-New Zealand and South Africa.
The SKA is a $1.9 billion radio telescope, which will consist of thousands of dishes and antennae to survey distant galaxies and collect data about the universe.
Most of the dishes would be in South Africa with the rest in Western Australia. Low frequency antennae might be built in New Zealand in the future.
Venture Southland enterprise project manager Robin McNeill said the Awarua site, south of Invercargill, was earmarked for its remoteness and quiet radio space.
It was hoped the Southland telescope would be the first involved with the SKA project in New Zealand, "but that is not going to happen".
"I am bitterly disappointed by the result," Mr McNeill, who was hoping New Zealand and Australia would win joint hosting rights, said.
"However, I am optimistic for the future, as the landscape is now clear for progress into the future, and we certainly haven't wasted the six years spent working on this project."
He was excited by the educational opportunities it offered.
