Northern beaches set to get new university

Five peninsula sites have been short-listed as a possible location for a university campus — and one of the options is in the area surrounding the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

The area surrounding the near-complete Northern Beaches Hospital is among the options being explored.

FIVE peninsula sites have been short-listed as a possible location for a satellite university campus.

Councillors voted on Tuesday night to open expressions of interest from universities wishing to expand into the northern beaches.

The council will also undertake a feasibility study into the impacts of a university on the beaches.

The old Seaforth TAFE site and the area surrounding the near-complete Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest are among the options to be explored for a suitable site.

The old Seaforth TAFE site is being explored.

The three former councils made efforts to secure a university but with the merged body there is an opportunity to make the dream a reality.

Mayor Michael Regan said there would be significant economic and social benefits from a university campus based in our area.

He said the Planning Department had expressed a keenness to explore the potential of locating a university campus near the new Northern Beaches Hospital, as part of the area’s precinct plan.

“With the new Frenchs Forest hospital coming on line soon, such a campus could potentially support medical sciences, nursing and medicine, among other disciplines.

Michael Regan. Picture: Adam Ward

“However, this may be several years away and in the meantime it may be feasible to create a satellite campus of an existing university for them to establish a presence on the northern beaches, using council’s property asset portfolio.

“That way, there is the potential to secure opportunities with universities across a wide range of academic disciplines and schools,” Cr Regan said.

The northern beaches is already home to the International College of Management Studies, but this would be an opportunity to expand the tertiary education offering and increase opportunities for local students.

International College of Management Sydney, Manly

“Currently students travel out of the region to gain a tertiary education with the exemption of Brookvale TAFE and the ICMS,” said a report prepared for last Tuesday’s council meeting.

The shortest travel to a university is Macquarie, which is about 27km away from Warriewood.

“There are a range of social considerations in securing a university,” the report said. It pointed to: reduced commute times; less pressure on road infrastructure; reduced housing demand; increased local spending and local jobs.

The council is also considering offering land in Manly and Dee Why and would also be open to ideas from interested universities, a report prepared for councillors said.

It pointed to the B-Line being available to prospective students in Dee Why and the easy access to ferries from Manly.

“Other locations as identified in the EOI process could be examined if the opportunity was right and provided significant community benefit,” the report said.

The council owns a number of office suites in Vuko Place, Warriewood, which the Manly Daily last year revealed was emerging as a major defence and tech hub.