News Release:
UNE against proposed Armidale rail cut
| Date 24/10/03 No 185/03 The University of New England is strongly opposed to the proposed axing of CountryLink rail services to Armidale. UNE's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, said: "The threat to rail services to Armidale will jeopardise Armidale's future as a university and convention city, quite apart from the burden it puts on to our students, the elderly, and other regular train users." UNE, represented by Ingrid Rothe, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, presented its concerns directly to the NSW Minister for Transport, Michael Costa at yesterday's "Save the Train" rally held at Armidale Railway Station. UNE contends that it would be greatly disadvantaged if rail services directly into Armidale were cut. In a written submission to Dr Tom Parry, Chair of the current inquiry into public transport in NSW, Professor Moses said: "We would expect a significant impact on our ability to recruit staff to an effectively isolated region, and our ability to attract students would be handicapped." "Regardless of the proposed alternative methods of transport," Ms Rothe told Mr Costa at the meeting, "the lack of a rail service and perceived inconvenience and discomfort would inform the decision-making process of potential students when considering attending a regional university." Currently UNE has 14,098 external students and 3,488 on-campus students at the Armidale campus. Sixty-five per cent of on-campus students are from outside Armidale or New England, and 3.6 per cent of these are international students who are very dependent on public transport. In addition, 75 per cent of UNE's external students are from outside Armidale or New England, and 3,990 external students are enrolled in subjects with compulsory residential schools, for which they must travel to Armidale, with each student having an average of two schools a year.
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An additional 5,427 are enrolled in subjects with non-compulsory residential schools, with each student having an average of between two and three schools a year. A recent survey showed that 25 per cent of external students attending residential schools use public transport to come to Armidale. The proposed bus service is not seen as a viable alternative by UNE staff or students. They are perceived as less safe, and inferior in comfort and facilities particularly for students with a disability. (Each year about 570 enrolled students at UNE are registered with a disability.) "The fortunes of both UNE and Armidale are intertwined," Ms Rothe said. "As the largest employer in the region, with 1,252 staff, even minor reductions in UNE's student numbers would have a significant flow-on socioeconomic impact on both UNE and Armidale. When attracting students to attend a regional campus we also need to attract them to living in Armidale. The economic impact to Armidale through loss of tourism or decline in further economic development would have a negative impact on student recruitment. Reduced student recruitment to UNE could in turn have a detrimental impact on the Armidale economy, as the annual influx of staff and students contributes significantly to the Armidale service economy and it's communities." "Significantly, access to rail services in regional communities is essential to several key demographic groups, including students, the disabled, the elderly, lower socioeconomic groups and Indigenous communities," she continued. These groups are represented in significant numbers in our community." At this meeting it was agreed that a working party, the "CountryLink Solutions Team", would be put together to consider the key issues. UNE contends that any working party needs to look at the social and economic impact to UNE and the region if the rail service is discontinued. Media contact: Ingrid Rothe, Director, Marketing and Public Affairs, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 3402. |
