The funding Deed finalises the Government’s commitment of $26.6 million towards the construction of UNE Tamworth Central under the Restart NSW program. The grant is supported by contributions from Tamworth Regional Council and a further $20 million by UNE.
UNE Vice-Chancellor and CEO Professor Brigid Heywood said the execution of the funding Deed by the NSW Treasury marks the next major stage of development of UNE Tamworth.
“I am exceptionally proud to have reached this pivotal point in the UNE Tamworth journey, and thank all those teams who have worked tirelessly to accomplish significant funding for this project,” Professor Heywood said.
“Delivering education in the places and communities where it is needed is a cornerstone of UNE’s strategy for the next decade. We are committed to delivering education that meets Tamworth industry and community needs.
“UNE has a presence in Tamworth through our Study Centre and the development of UNE Tamworth Central will take this support for Tamworth based students to a new level.
“I am grateful for the support of the Federal Government through the Job Ready Graduates program, and the efforts of both the Tamworth University Reference Group and Tamworth local member Kevin Anderson in securing this important funding.
“As always, the support of the Tamworth community for a university is unwavering and this has been vital in bringing us to this point,” Professor Heywood said.
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said this was one of the most significant steps towards delivering this project and was looking forward to seeing construction begin.
“Our community has been calling for a university campus for years and today’s announcement means that we can get on with the job of delivering this important project,” Mr Anderson said.
“With yesterday’s final sign off on the $26.6 million funding deed, our community can expect to see construction begin soon.
“UNE are committed to delivering this project for our community and I thank Vice Chancellor Heywood and the Tamworth University Reference Group for the hard work they have done to deliver for our region,” he said.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the NSW Government is committed to boosting regional NSW with transformative infrastructure like the UNE Tamworth campus.
“The new campus will mean Tamworth residents can study close to home and continue to live and work in their community, keeping their skills in the local workforce and ensuring they don’t have to travel for hours to study,” Mr Toole said.
“We are continuing to work with communities to invest record amounts of money into infrastructure and services, so more people can realise the potential of our regions, and the UNE Tamworth campus is a prime example of that.
Tamworth Regional Council Mayor Russell Webb said “Today marks an exciting milestone in a key project for the future of the Tamworth region, as identified in Council’s Blueprint 100 strategy.
“The introduction of a university campus to service Tamworth and surrounds will be of huge benefit to our residents by complementing existing tertiary education offerings, facilitating smart growth, creating a prosperous region and strengthening our proud identity. We are proud to be involved in expanding on the educational options in the Tamworth region, and thank both the NSW Government and University of New England for their hard work and enthusiasm in bringing this project to fruition.”
UNE Tamworth is expected to deliver over $600 million in economic benefits to the region over the next 10 years, from the construction phase through to tourism revenue and student and university expenditure.
