Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) regional universities:

(i) play an active role in developing regional economies and contributing to the social and cultural development of their regions; and

(ii) act as an anchor for investment and workforce development;

(b) education is a major driver of economic development in regional Australia and should not be seen in isolation from other regional economic development issues;

(c) one of the biggest threats to the sustainability of rural communities is a declining population of young people;

(d) regional universities will educate the future regional workforce;

(e) students who study in regional areas are more likely to stay in regional areas after they graduate;

(f) the Regional Universities Network reports about three-quarters of those who study at regional universities stay in the regions to work and, by contrast, students who leave their communities to take up university studies in major cities are much less likely to return after graduating; and

(g) the measures in the Government's Higher Education Reform Package do not adequately consider the role of regional universities in educating the future workforce in regional communities and driving regional development; and

(2) calls on the Government to develop a National Regional Higher Education Strategy that:

(a) considers the role of regional universities in educating the future workforce in regional communities and driving regional development; and

(b) ensures regional higher education is prioritised and remains a focus of future governments.

I am pleased to speak to this motion calling on the government to develop a national regional higher education strategy. As all regional MPs know, regional universities do more than educate—they are a critical player in workforce planning; they are a driver of economic growth and development; they are key employers; they innovate; they inspire; they act as major attractors to young people; and they can make the difference between economic survival and the totally undesirable alternative. However to ensure regional higher education is prioritised and remains a focus for federal governments beyond today, we must have a long-term commitment which is coordinated and has bipartisan support. We must have a national strategy.

In my community, access to high quality tertiary education is a recognised priority. In a post-budget survey of more than 1,000 people across the electorate held in May this year, 92 per cent of respondents identified education as their top priority. Regional universities demonstrate that access to high quality tertiary education does more than educate the future workforce in regional communities; they play a central role in the economic, social and cultural development of the regions and, consequently, the nation.

Over the past year I have worked really closely with La Trobe University and Charles Sturt University in my electorate and the Regional Universities Network. They also agree that we need a strategic approach to the future. I say to my friends on the government side: can you work with me on this? All the regional MPs in this place know that high-quality tertiary education is a major driver of economic development and should not be seen in isolation from other regional development issues. I want to acknowledge my parliamentary colleague Senator McKenzie and the leadership role she has played to progress this. In the government's regional 2030 statement they have said they want to build the kind of sustainable regional communities our children and grandchildren either want to stay in or come back to. This will mean thinking beyond the next election. To address this need, the government established the Regional Australia Ministerial Taskforce in March. We were told that a cross-portfolio task force was the best way to implement good regional policy, and that the task force would focus on closing the gap between the bush and the city, in terms of health, education and infrastructure, and would continue to invest in rural, regional and remote Australia.

But central to good regional policy is a recognition of the workforce and economic development requirements of the community. This is underpinned by TAFEs and universities. The Regional Universities Network, RUN, reports that about three-quarters of those who study at regional universities stay in the regions to work. Conversely, students who leave their communities to take up university studies in major cities are much less likely to return home after graduating. A national strategy would support the role of regionally based higher education providers in creating diverse and resilient regional economies, and take into consideration other relevant policies and programs.

The Commonwealth Department of Education is currently conducting an independent review into regional, rural and remote education, and their discussion paper tells us that it will consider key challenges and barriers that impact on students' learning outcomes, including transitions towards the future regarding study, training and employment. But there is a missing piece in this discussion paper; this review does not address regional universities and those who choose to study there. This seems inconsistent with the government's decentralisation agenda, and, notably, the government's decision to relocate the APVMA to Armidale, with one of the key election criteria for the new office being that it is within a 10-kilometre radius of the University of New England.

In closing, I want to reflect on the words from today's editorial in my local paper, Albury-Wodonga's The BorderMail:

… larger regional centres, such as Albury-Wodonga, have benefited from a university presence. In the Border’s case, it has had the added plus of go-ahead TAFE colleges – especially in Wodonga.

The editorial cites Charles Sturt University and La Trobe University, and continues:

… all must be done to ensure there is no attempt to water-down these universities at a time when their commitment is to expand in order to even better serve regional areas.

Our universities rightly deserve ongoing, long-term support because they fill a role that will never be matched by the nation’s ivy league club.

That is why it is so important we have strong regional universities. Tonight, I'm saying to the government: pay attention to the regions. The way forward that I see is to have a national strategy that has long-term bipartisan support and delivers the students, the economy and the cultural changes we need.

See this speech in context