Full steam ahead at Gosford uni campus

Construction on the first floor of the new Gosford uni campus is set to begin following the completion of its ground floor slabs.

The $67M Central Coast campus of Newcastle University at 305 Mann St, Gosford, will be near the university’s Clinical School and Gosford Hospital.

It will offer a safe place for students to study on the Coast locally and build their skills without having to travel long distances.

Concrete cores will be built in coming months to prepare for the mass timber installation scheduled for the end of the year.

The University has collaborated with the Australian and NSW Governments (each of which has contributed $18M) to deliver a new world-class facility set to enhance education pathways and contribute to the ongoing revitalisation of Gosford City’s CBD.

The campus will be close to TAFE NSW, government offices, businesses, public transport and amenities, acting as a catalyst for development and investment.

The new Central Coast Campus will feature versatile teaching and learning spaces suitable for a range of courses.

“This game changing new education facility in the heart of Gosford will provide a range of new learning opportunities and pathways for the Central Coast community,” Federal Member for Robertson Gordon Reid said.

“To date, the building contractor, Hansen Yuncken, has put in 24,000 person hours for the project, which is an awesome accomplishment.

“When finished, the facility will have four floors and be a highly sustainable building developed to achieve a six-star ‘design as built’ rating.”

Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the region was one step closer to opening a world-class educational facility.

“You only need to look at the skyline to see that Gosford is growing, and it is so important that during this phase of significant growth, high quality infrastructure such as the UoN’s Gosford Campus are embedded in the new cityscape,” she said.

“I am a passionate champion for the importance of Gosford City to our region and … (the State Government’s) commitment to the future of Gosford City is clear.”

A unique sustainable concrete mix that uses 80 per cent recycled water and contains 60 per cent less cement than standard concrete is being used on the project, with mass timber being used for the interior frame to reduce carbon emissions.

The building will feature a distinctive glass façade with curved elements, a frit pattern and double glazing to achieve the highest design and sustainability standards.

State Shadow Minister for the Central Coast Adam Crouch recently checked out progress with the project team and reinforced that it was the previous Liberal State Government’s vision to develop Gosford into an education and innovation hub, providing the necessary land and the $18M commitment.

“When a government works side by side with a great university like the University of Newcastle, we can achieve real results for our region’s future,” he said.

But Crouch said while the uni campus was powering ahead, the same could not be said for the proposed new TAFE in Gosford.

“There has been utter silence on the proposal for a state-of-the-art TAFE in the heart of Gosford, which was part of the former government’s education plan for the Central Coast,” he said.

“This is yet again reflective of this government’s lack of delivery and vision for thriving region, and the longer this project languishes, the more the Central Coast will suffer.”