Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition's higher education legislation tabled in the House today is both divisive and mean-spirited. All around central Victoria as well as other areas of regional Victoria people are genuinely concerned about what these changes will mean not only for their kids, not only for their communities but also for the regional campuses in their areas. There is a very real fear that university will become too expensive for low- to middle-income families. If students have to travel to Melbourne for study, this could put their dream of a university degree out of reach.

The La Trobe Bendigo campus has a significant number of students from a low socioeconomic background. It is higher than the national average. It also has a high proportion of mature-age students. Why would a mature-age student sign themselves up for a debt for life if they have only got 10 to 15 years of working life left to pay it off? Will that debt be left to their children? These reforms could put at risk the very viability of regional campuses. Like we have seen with the Bendigo TAFE: when student fees rise student numbers drop and then courses are cut. We are seriously concerned that these reforms could see the closure of regional campuses. I urge the government to rethink this disastrous plan.