UTAS “carefully considering” flood of negative feedback over uni move

On Wednesday UTAS higher ups heard voice after voice slamming the campus move, and now they’re considering what they heard. LATEST >>

University of Tasmania vice chancellor Rufus Black says feedback provided at a public meeting on the university’s proposed move to the CBD is being considered, after community members lined up to criticise the plan on Wednesday.

Professors, students, graduates, business owners and business leaders were among those who slammed the plan over a number of concerns, which ranged from parking to lack of consultation.

The meeting was held after a petition, calling for the council to cease its support for the move until an inquiry was undertaken garnered more than 1700 signatures within a matter of weeks.

On Friday Mr Black said the university would continue to engage with community.

“The public meeting this week was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from members of the community about their views and concerns regarding the future of the university and the city we share,” Mr Black said.

“We are carefully considering all that we heard.

“It will shape and evolve our thinking and planning as we continue to engage with the community to make sure our university best serves students and Tasmania.”

A number of motions were moved and carried at the meeting, including that a letter be written to Premier Jeremy Rockliff urging the state government to undertake a review into the move.

The motions will be considered by the Hobart City Council on Monday.

Imposing ‘Behemoth’: Angry mob takes on UTAS at meeting

The University of Tasmania has been described as a “behemoth” imposing on the community at a public meeting at Hobart’s City Hall on Wednesday.

Academics, business leaders, traders and students and graduates lined up to slam the University’s planned move into the CBD.

The meeting was held after a petition, requesting the council cease support for the proposal until a review is undertaken, gathered more than 1700 signatures in a matter of weeks.

109 submissions were made prior to the meeting, 106 opposing the move, with parking, impact on businesses and lack of consultation high on the list of concerns.

There were 471 in attendance including UTAS chancellor Alison Watkins, and vice chancellor Rufus Black.

“I’m not here to mount a defence of our move, I’m here to listen,” Mr Black said.

“You’re here tonight in part because you feel the proposal doesn’t make sense.

“We want to ensure we are doing our best to honour your concerns about the university”

Leading the charge against the move was chair of the Save UTAS Campus group Pam Sharpe.

“Why has UTAS turned into a behemoth that imposes its unchecked will onto the community,” Prof. Sharpe said.

“We need the state’s only university to be a good university in every sense of that word.”

Prof. Sharpe said she once questioned the move at a dinner with the UTAS council.

“I discovered the councillors had no knowledge of the changes I was talking about,” Prof. Sharpe said.

“Some openly admitted they had no idea.”

Chairman of the Confederation of Greater Hobart Business Louise Bloomfield said businesses who paid hefty commercial rates were given no say in decisions that affected them.

“I don’t care how many people you put in Hobart, if they don’t have any money to spend, none of our small businesses will survive,” Ms Bloomfield said.

“We need to know when you hear us, we have real and true influence on what happens to us.”

UTAS law society president Fletcher Clarke said he was once part of a focus group which was asked about the move, but the several comments against the move went unheard.

“The decision has already been made and student feedback is somehow ignored,” Mr Clarke said.

“The university approach seems to be to steamroll ahead despite student and staff concerns.”

A number of motions were moved and carried including that a letter be written to Premier Jeremy Rockliff urging the state government to undertake a review and that no further applications be made to council in relation to the move.

The motions will be considered by the Hobart City Council at its next meeting.

‘David and Goliath’: Could UTAS meeting change minds?

The group hoping to put a stop to the University of Tasmania’s campus move say they hope UTAS will be receptive to their concerns ahead of a public meeting on Wednesday, but they still feel it’s a David and Goliath battle.

Pam Sharp is chair of the Save UTAS Campus group, which hopes the university will cease its plan to move from Sandy Bay to the Hobart CBD and conduct more consultation.

In February the group collected more than 1700 signatures on a petition calling for an independent inquiry into the move and for a public meeting to be held.

Save UTAS Campus launch

“We have a Save UTAS Campus motion that really is around stopping work and ceasing the project of moving the university until the investigations are being done,” Prof. Sharpe said.

Ms Sharpe admitted it might be tough to get the university to reconsider.

“We live in hope but it still seems like a David and Goliath battle to me,” Prof. Sharpe said.

“I doubt there’s going to be a total turn around, but you never know.”

Prof Sharpe didn’t believe the university had previously kept an open mind to the group’s concerns.

She said she’d initially hoped to have regular meetings with officials.

“I did have one meeting,” Prof. Sharpe said.

“We did have a discussion but there wasn’t any follow up in areas that they said they would follow up in.

Professor Rufus Black, Vice-Chancellor, University of Tasmania. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“We would have welcomed meeting with Rufus, a public meeting at the university.”

University of Tasmania vice chancellor Rufus Black said it was encouraging to see community members interested in the move.

“It is a very positive thing that people care passionately about the future of the University and the city we share and we look forward to hearing directly from members of the community,” Prof. Black said.

He said he was keeping an open mind and was eager to hear feedback.

“Our focus at the public meeting is listening - taking on board the feedback, views, ideas and opinions of the community to inform the future we create together.” Prof. Black said.

The meeting will be held at 7pm at Hobart’s City Hall.

Follow @JudyAugustine