Public vote determines colour of the re-vamped Scott Base

The final tally is in. New Zealand has spoken and voted to keep Scott Base kākāriki/green!

The iconic colour, which has graced the Ross Island research station since 1965, finished with 4514 votes from the 10,830 Kiwis and honorary penguins who made the choice between green, karaka/orange and kikorangi/blue.

Orange – or rescue orange as it was dubbed by supporters keen to keep people safe and save the planet – came second with 3,742 votes, then blue with 2,574 votes.

The vote allowed for our Antarctic community and New Zealanders to be part of the design process during the Scott Base Redevelopment. The current aging buildings will be replaced with a fit-for-purpose base powered by 97% renewable energy. It means we can keep supporting science for another 50+ years.