CQUniversity Cairns CBD campus receives additional funds for ‘health and engineering’ wing
A $37.5m health wing will be built at CQUniversity’s new campus to address severe workforce shortages, both major parties have promised.
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A $37.5m health wing will be built at CQUniversity’s new campus to address severe workforce shortages, both major parties have promised.
CQUniversity was allocated $50m towards the new CBD campus in the federal budget but earlier this year called for both sides of politics to fund the additional wing.
The university will contribute $10m towards the $87.5m project, which would mean Bachelor of Medical Imaging in Cairns could be offered by 2026, instead of 2028.
The $37.5m expansion will also help the enrolments grow from a forecast of 4000 to 6000 students.
It follows Cairns Post’s Critical Condition campaign which highlighted significant wait times for women being diagnosed with breast cancer, and successfilly reinstated a lost diagnostic service earlier this year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement on Thursday while at Green Island and said the expansion would help address workforce shortages by training more students “closer to home”.
“It will double nursing student capacity from 630 to 1260,” he said.
“It will expand facilities to accommodate growth in physio, OT (occupational therapy) and clinical exercise physiology.”
Labor candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith welcomed the announcement, doubling down on the “we know if you train local you stay local,” mantra.
Welcoming the funding, CQU vice chancellor professor Nick Klomp said the university had a strong track record when it came to responding to challenges facing communities and industries.
“Last year, we introduced a local physiotherapy course and since its introduction, we have filled all the student places in the program – something that has the potential to see an additional 40-50 physiotherapists serving the region in three to four years from now,” he said.
“I look forward to continuing our positive and productive conversations with all sides of government and hope that today’s funding commitment will be matched by the LNP, giving certainty to the local community that they will soon have a purpose-built campus to meet the education and training needs of the future health workforce.”
Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive Patricia O’Neill said the CQU expansion would be a major boost for the CBD.
“As a chamber we’ve pushed this for a very long time because it will revitalise the CBD,” she said.
“CQU has never relied on government funding so it’s great they understand the importance of training and growing our own allied health professionals.
“Otherwise you have to go down south to study allied health and they don’t come back. With a housing shortage, we won’t have to rely on international professionals if we’re training locals.
“But we’re not taking the foot off the gas – we absolutely seeking bipartisan commitment on this and I look forward to (LNP candidate) Jeremy Neal’s response.”
Late Thursday afternoon Mr Neal responded, also pledging the $27.5m towards CQU.
“The LNP absolutely throws its support behind the CQU’s Cairns campus and will also provide $27.5m for a new health and engineering precinct, to provide greater education opportunities for young people across the region, double nursing training capacity which in turn will help boost jobs and medical services here,” he said.
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