Belinda Neal (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As excited as I am by the contribution of the previous speaker, the member for Mitchell, I have much more important things to speak about. I rise today to inform members that the Central Coast campus of the University of Newcastle, which serves the Central Coast region where my electorate of Robertson is located, is this year marking its 20th anniversary.

Classes began at the Ourimbah based campus in July 1989 with just 60 students. It is significant that the name ‘Ourimbah’ is an Indigenous word for ‘place of learning’. In the two decades since then, the university has undergone a period of healthy growth and become a respected and valued part of the intellectual life of the Central Coast. Today there are 6,500 students studying there, with more than 1,000 students graduating this year alone. The campus employs more than 200 staff. The success of this institution shows that students do not have to abandon the regions and migrate to capital cities to achieve world-class tertiary education. Local students can continue to learn where they live, staying in touch with family and friends and keeping our regional economy strong and its intellectual life vibrant.

The university has a whole year of celebratory activities planned to mark this milestone event. In March a commemorative tree, a Wollemi pine, was planted on the grounds in a ceremony that began with a welcome to country by the Darkinjung elders. This marked 20 years to the day of the planting of the foundation tree in 1989. The anniversary year will feature art competitions and debating competitions. In April the campus hosted an education and training forum called ‘A Smarter Central Coast’ designed to improve work and study options on the coast. On 24 July 2009 a formal anniversary dinner will be held to celebrate two decades of educational excellence.

Today the campus at Ourimbah is what is known as a multisector campus, containing three allied institutions co-located within the one campus. As well as the higher education stream of the university, the campus hosts the Hunter Institute of TAFE New South Wales as well as the Central Coast Community College. Of course, the integration of these three levels of education is what is so important. It allows students to move seamlessly from one to another.

The community college was established in 1982 and now offers more than 800 courses. The TAFE college focuses on critical areas of skill shortage and specialises in tourism, hospitality and event management, building and construction, child studies, accounting, IT, music, health and community services. The university offers 18 undergraduate degrees and seven postgraduate streams of study.

Like the TAFE, the university addresses areas of skill shortage in the region. Its recognised research strengths include marine science, sustainable resource management, exercise and sport science, and food science and human nutrition. These areas of research strength have been underpinned by a network of community partnerships in a range of areas. Educational collaborations have been established between the university and other local institutions, government and business. These partners include the Department of Primary Industries, the Community Environment Network, the Central Coast Academy of Sport, Sara Lee and the Central Coast Mariners Football Club.

In 2002 a study was undertaken into the economic contribution made by the University of Newcastle to the Hunter and Central Coast regions of New South Wales. It showed that every dollar of university revenue generated $2.75 of economic activity in the local communities. The university has helped build a stronger, smarter Central Coast. It is committed to creating a prosperous and vibrant future for our region. It shows that excellence in education can be delivered locally and that it can be delivered in a way that means that the community can be part of the process. It means that the university is servicing a need for specialist skills in the local community, in business and in government, and that in turn it can provide an education which will mean the students have the skills at the termination of their education that are needed in the community and will lead to further employment. I am thrilled to be part of the university’s celebrations. I congratulate them heartily on all their efforts, not only throughout this year of celebrations but over 20 years. (Time expired)