SOME six people have applied to sit on a university steering committee for Goulburn Mulwaree. The group will identify funding sources for a University of Canberra regional campus in Goulburn.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will aim to match a $12.5 million grant application to Regional Development Australia (RDA) for the campus. Mayor Geoff Kettle said he’d received five or six expressions of interest in the committee by last Monday’s closing date.
“They’re a good mix from business and the community,” he said. “But we’re still talking to people. There’s still enthusiasm out there to be involved.”
The council will decide on the final make-up in coming weeks. The mayor will soon address the Goulburn and District Chamber of Commerce on the plan. The university wants to establish the campus at the former St Joseph’s House of Prayer on Taralga Rd. The council lodged the RDA application in May.
Cr Kettle said he’d been advised the fund’s stage one was “extremely oversubscribed” and the bid was likely to go to round two. If the grant is successful, the committee’s role is to raise $12.5m from the private sector and other sources.
Cr Kettle has previously acknowledged it was a tough ask. Cooma Council is chasing the same amount for the university’s proposed campus on their patch.
Meantime, Goulburn MP Pru Goward has written to Federal tertiary education minister, Senator Chris Evans asking him to bend the criteria on another possible funding source. Writing on behalf of Canberra University, Ms Goward wants Senator Evans to consider a funding bid under the regional and rural round of the Education Investment Fund (EIF4).
“The University sees potential to seek funding from the EIF4, but is concerned that only universities currently receiving a regional student loading will be eligible to apply,” Ms Goward wrote.
“EIF4 presents a significant opportunity for the University of Canberra to fund the establishment of their regional campus in Goulburn (and another in Cooma), but it must allow funding applications from universities based in non-regional and rural areas who are wishing to establish outreach or satellite campuses in rural areas.
“I would be grateful if you could consider allowing the guidelines for funding under EIF4 (and possibly other regional and rural funding) to cover this circumstance.”
Ms Goward said the campus would provide students in this area with educational opportunities “presently denied.”
Although Canberra was only one hour away, low income families could not necessarily provide cars or support, enabling their children to commute.
The university has also applied for a grant under the federal government’s Structural Adjustment Fund but was told it was unlikely to receive the full amount requested in the “over subscribed” round two. As a backup, university officials asked both councils to apply to RDA.
