Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Central Queensland University is continuing to build on opportunities on all its campuses in the Central Queensland area with a great deal of benefit to the provincial cities which have those campuses. Two weeks ago, on 16 November, I had the honour of opening Bundaberg campus’s $4.7 million academic and research building, which is designed to further the university’s research activities into science, multimedia studies, interactive journalism and information technology. The Commonwealth has played a key role in funding the development of this infrastructure and research program at CQU and has contributed to the establishment of this new infrastructure through a $1.9 million allocation from the Capital Development Pool program. The remaining $2.8 million was contributed by CQU itself.

By helping to develop the campus research capabilities in the areas of science, information technology, multimedia studies and interactive journalism, the government is giving students even more reasons to consider studying in Bundaberg. As we all know, young people who do university courses in provincial areas are more likely to settle in provincial areas.

The new business will allow CQU to expand its number of courses, including nursing, science, environmental science, human movements, biology, chemistry and, of course, as I said, aspects of journalism. Two of the four dedicated research rooms have already been allocated to environmental research groups, with a full-time research fellow and a possible research assistant taking up residence. I must say that the major twin laboratory which I inspected was most impressive.

Bundaberg CQU campus is tangible evidence that a university does not have to be city based to provide facilities with top quality academic and research facilities. This new centre will build on that reputation and will foster on-campus research, which has been growing in importance to the university in recent years. The Bundaberg campus has come a remarkably long way in a relatively short time, and there is no doubt that this new complex will prove to be a catalyst in the next phase of growth and service to the surrounding region.

I have been associated with the Central Queensland University from right back when it was the Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education. In fact, I was on the council of the university at the time when it went from an institute to a university college and then to a university, all in one three-year process. I can remember, too, its early foundations in Bundaberg, where I was on the original committee seeking a university for the city. Our plans were not quite for what has turned out today; they were overtaken by the Dawkins plan—which I commend, I might add—and it has meant a great step forward in the university’s development. To have come from 14 students in the old Christian Brothers college buildings to the university today with approximately 1,000 students and in such a short time is quite remarkable.

In today’s academic environment, access to state-of-the-art learning facilities is crucial to extending each student’s learning. By enhancing the campus’s research capabilities, CQU is giving its students the right tools for learning into the future. The university recognises the growing importance of continuing education and the need for people to be lifelong learners. Not too long ago I attended the opening of the campus’s information commons, which will provide easier access to online library databases along with multimedia and print resources. To see such a rapid expansion in development of local tertiary education resources is a great show of faith in regional Queensland and the people who choose to support CQU.

I commend the vision of CQU, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rickard, and its former heads of campus, Alex Grady and Helen Huntly, and their enthusiasm for partnering with the government to provide more opportunities to regional communities. Partnerships such as this prove that the Australian government is not just investing in bricks and mortar but in regional universities and in what they can do for those communities.