Varun Ghosh (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is committed to improving access to education in Australia, particularly in regional Australia. In March this year, the government announced the creation of 10 new regional university study hubs, including two new hubs in Western Australia. The Ashburton University Study Hub will be operated by Pilbara Kimberley University Centres, which operate existing hubs in Broome, Karratha and Port Hedland. The new hub will build on existing services, while tailoring offerings specifically for students in Onslow and Tom Price. The new Katanning hub will be built on the success of the existing hub in Albany and will service students in Katanning. Regional university study hubs offer facilities and support to permit young people to undertake their studies while staying in their communities in regional Australia. The types of facilities that they offer include study areas, student lounges and kitchens, as well as high-speed internet and videoconferencing facilities and student support services.

Regional participation in tertiary education remains disproportionately low. In 2022, while 26.2 per cent of Australians lived in areas classified as regional or remote, only 19.8 per cent of university students came from those areas. There is also significant inequality in tertiary completion rates for students from non-metropolitan areas. In 2018, 14 per cent of regional and 17 per cent of remote university students left their courses within the first year, and that is considerably higher than the national rate of around 10 per cent for metropolitan students. There are a number of other risk factors in this space, but it is important to note that only 44 per cent of regional students over the age of 25 studying part time successfully completed their degrees. That significant gap in tertiary education attainment levels between metropolitan and regional students is something that this government is committed to solving.