Gosford university campus: $250m vision unveiled by University of Newcastle

EXCLUSIVE: The University of Newcastle vice-chancellor has openly discussed plans for a new facility in Gosford CBD, offering courses in business, law and communications.

The University of Newcastle vice-chancellor has revealed a ‘vision’ of a $250 million Gosford campus.

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The University of Newcastle has revealed its $250 million intention to build a campus in the heart of Gosford.

Vice-chancellor Alex Zelinsky told the Express Advocate a purpose built campus at Gosford would be designed to compliment the existing Ourimbah campus as well as the university’s Central Coast Medical School and Research Institute set to open at Gosford Hospital in 2020.

University of Newcastle’s vice-chancellor Alex Zelinsky AO

“Our vision is for up to 5000 students to be studying on the coast by 2025,” Prof Zelinsky said.

“It is a bold vision. It has the potential to transform lives and to have significant business and community impact.”

The project would only proceed in partnership with the state and federal governments, both of which the vice-chancellor is engaging with behind the scenes.

Prof Zelinsky said it was the university’s intention that a Gosford campus would offer courses in business and law, communication, early childhood, social work and marine science, as well as community health and physical education, cybersecurity and data science, leadership and entrepreneurship, and healthy ageing.

He reaffirmed the university was still committed to its Ourimbah campus and that in future it would refocus its offerings to courses within the disciplines of education, exercise and sport science, food science and human nutrition, oral health, podiatry, as well as programs in environmental science and management and construction engineering.

A concept design for the Central Coast Medical School and Research Institute.

“The new campus in Gosford and our Ourimbah campus would allow more students to study closer to home and would build the skills we need for the coast’s workforce of the future,” he said.

“The Central Coast population is increasing.

“Our vision is to work with the community to provide more educational and professional development opportunities on the coast.

The Gosford campus would offer courses in communication, business and law, early childhood, social work and marine science

“Our facility … would be open for community and school use, with programs and offerings integrated with local schools, TAFE and other vocational education and training institutions.”

Less than 30 per cent of coast residents aged 18 — 24 attend TAFE or university.

“We all want to do more for young people and for the economy of the coast,” Mr Zelinsky said.

A $350 million private hospital was recently announced for Gosford.

The Central Coast region has seen a reduction in youth unemployment over the 12 months to December 2018, the unemployment rate for 15 to 24-year-olds remains 3.4 percentage points higher than the NSW average.”

The announcement comes off the back of the proposed $350 million private hospital development, on the corner of Faunce Rd and Racecourse Rd in Gosford, Central Coast Leagues Club’s $450 million redevelopment vision as well as the $10 million upgrade to transform Leagues Club Field into a bushland setting with water passages.

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