Higher education will now be on the doorstep of some of the Maranoa electorate’s most remote communities with the federal government announcing a new Regional University Study Hub for Central Western Queensland.
The new facility will service the Longreach, Barcaldine, Blackall, Winton, Boulia, Bedourie, Birdsville, and Jundah communities, providing locals with access to equipment and facilities to pursue university courses.
Leader of The Nationals and Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the announcement would help locals pursue their dreams of higher education, without having to leave their hometown.
“These facilities are vital in upskilling our future generations to help combat the skilled-labour shortage regional areas are facing, while also allowing them to continue to live and work in the communities they call home,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The existing Regional University Study Hubs in St George-Dirranbandi, Roma, and Goondiwindi have achieved enormous success in recent years and I’m confident these new facilities will be no different.
“It gives me great pride to have helped secure these exciting new Regional University Study Hubs for our Maranoa electorate.”
Based on the former Coalition Government’s Regional University Centre’s program, the Regional University Study Hubs program will fund the opening of 10 new centres across the country including new sites in Warwick and Chinchilla.
Along with the existing sites, the new facilities are expected to support nearly 4,000 students, studying more than 1,000 different courses, through more than 200 tertiary education providers.
Funded by the federal government, the new Regional University Study Hubs are expected to be available to students over the next 12 months.
