Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, has announced that the Morrison Government will deliver an additional $3.3m in funding for student places at the Central Coast Medical School and Research Institute in Gosford.
“This additional funding will be delivered over four years, and is fantastic news for residents and businesses across the Coast,” Wicks said. “This funding will deliver around 150 Commonwealth subsidised places that will support allied health students administered by the University of Newcastle, confirming the total number of around 550 student places at the Central Coast Medical School and Research Institute. “The $3.3m that we are announced on November 15 builds on the Coalition Government’s investment of $45m to this project, in partnership with the University of Newcastle and NSW Government,” Wicks said.
“By offering more higher education opportunities locally, we can retain our young people and also attract more students to the Coast to study. “Students studying locally will reduce their cost of attaining a higher education, while hosting more students will boost local businesses and the economy. “The Central Coast Medical School and Medical Research Institute is an $85m project, jointly funded by the Federal and NSW State Government and the University of Newcastle, at Gosford Hospital. “This Medical Health Precinct, right in the heart of Gosford, will create hundreds of local jobs and will be a game changer for our region,” Wicks continued.
“You can see the foundations of this world class facility on top of the new car park for Gosford Hospital. “This is a huge achievement for our region, boosting our local economy, creating more jobs for people on the Central Coast, and giving our students the opportunity to study and live in Gosford,” she said. Dr Brok Glenn, Dean of the Ourimbah Campus of the University of Newcastle, said that training additional skilled individuals will be critical for delivering better healthcare in the region for decades to come.
“We’re working with our partners, the Central Coast Local Health District, to set up a best-practise, world-class medical school in Gosford, and this additional funding is a very welcome boost to this critically important project,” he said.
Minister for Education, Dan Tehan, said the Australian Government was committing an additional $92.5m to support student growth in universities that had a regional growth focus. “Funding for additional student places at regional universities was part of the Morrison Government’s additional $134.8m commitment to regional and rural higher education, bringing the total additional new funding for regional higher education to almost $400m over five years,” Tehan said. “Our funding commitment will ensure that every Australian, no matter where they live, has access to Australia’s world-leading higher education system,” he concluded.
Source: Media release, Nov 15 Charlotte Bowcock, Office of Lucy Wicks MP