The fat's been trimmed from Antarctica New Zealand's plans for Scott Base

The crown entity abandoned its previous large module three-building design after five years of development.

An independent review highlighted multiple concerns with the previous proposal - relating to high costs and contracting difficulties.

Board Chair Leon Grice told Mike Hosking the new plan will fit within the almost half a billion dollar budget.

He says a mixture of building new and refurbishing existing buildings is a cost-effective and low-risk way forward.

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