The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP

I am pleased to announce more than $43 million in capital grants funding for Australian universities.

This funding, from the higher education Capital Development Pool (CDP) for 2007, will support campus developments in regional centres and suburban growth areas, as well as electronic infrastructure projects leading to high quality flexible learning services.

Among projects identified in these target areas are the extension of facilities at the Orange campus of Charles Sturt University, a new campus development at Shepparton, and the expansion of both the Geraldton Universities Centre and the Peel Campus of Murdoch University.

Regional centres will also benefit from new funding for projects relating to the improvement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. These ICT projects will enable campuses to communicate more rapidly and reliably with other institutions and provide for greater access to on-line resources.

More generally, a large number of ICT projects will be funded, allowing universities to take full advantage of the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) high bandwidth backbone currently being established across the nation.

The CDP will also help to support the Howard Government’s efforts to increase the supply of health workforce professionals by funding the establishment of health facilities, such as a new nursing and midwifery facility at the University of Technology, Sydney.

I am also providing funds from the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative (SII) that will complement two CDP projects at Charles Sturt University and the Australian Maritime College. Charles Sturt University will receive an additional $1.06 million for the connection of the Wagga campus to the AREN and the Australian Maritime College will receive an additional $210,000 for an ICT upgrade.

A table setting out the allocations for each State and Territory in 2007 is attached.

For further information:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Yaron Finkelstein 0414 927 663
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323

Media Release Table - List of successful 2007 Capital Development Pool (CDP) Projects

Institution	Allocation Description	Allocation ($m)
NSW
Charles Sturt University	Construction of a nursing laboratory and lecture theatre at Orange Campus	1.14
Charles Sturt University	Fibre connectivity from the nearest Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) point of presence into its campuses, particularly Bathurst and Wagga Wagga.	1.0
Southern Cross University	Funding towards the construction of a new building at the Tweed Gold Coast Campus	2.0
The University of New England	Extension to the Lamble Administration Building for an e-Learning Commons	2.0
The University of Newcastle	Funding towards an upgrade to the University’s e-Learning infrastructure	0.85
The University of Sydney	Funding will cover Stage 1 of a project to rebuild and expand education facilities suffering physical deterioration at the Camden Campus	2.0
University of Technology, Sydney	Funding towards the creation of a specialist facility for Nursing and Midwifery education in central Sydney	2.0
VIC
Deakin University	Renovation of the Denys Lascelles building on the Geelong Waterfront to include a Health Precinct and the Alfred Deakin Institute	2.0
La Trobe University	Funding will cover the construction of a Machine Room and Ancillary areas as well as infrastructure to allow disaster recovery and business continuity features at Bundoora Campus	1.618
La Trobe University	Funding towards the construction of a new building at the Shepparton campus	1.5
Monash University	Funding towards the replacement of Binishell Hall at Gippsland	2.0
RMIT	Construction of a building that consolidates educational and administrative ICT services at Bundoora Campus	1.092
Swinburne University of Technology	Fibre links between the Wantirna, Croydon and Lilydale campuses and the existing Victorian Education and Research Network (VERN) fibre points of presence	2.0
The University of Melbourne	Extensions to the Victorian Education and Research Network (VERN) at Epping, the Shepparton Regional Clinical School and the Shepparton School of Rural Health	0.66
University of Ballarat	Re-development of a computer centre into a communication facility to house existing infrastructure and develop inter-campus ICT links	0.673
QLD
Central Queensland University	Funding towards the construction of a new technology and information resource centre to replace the existing campus library at Mackay	2.0
Griffith University	Funding towards the construction of the first stage of a Medical School	2.0
University of Southern Queensland	Funding towards the construction of a new Stage 3 building at Wide Bay	2.0
University of the Sunshine Coast	Funding towards the construction of a Stage VI Science building	2.0
WA
Murdoch University	Funding towards the construction of second building at the Peel campus development	2.0
UWA, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University	Funding towards the construction of Stage 2 of the Geraldton Universities Centre (GUC)	2.0
SA
University of South Australia	Implementation of Access Grids at the City West, City East, Magill and Mawson Lakes campuses	0.3
Flinders University	Funding towards the construction of a Science Innovation Learning Centre	1.0
TAS
Australian Maritime College	Upgrade of microwave links, internal network and server room	0.535
NT
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education	Funding towards the upgrade of a building to house its ICT infrastructure	2.0
Charles Darwin University	Building extension (including ICT fit-out) to the Research School of Environmental Studies in the Institute of Advanced Studies	2.0
ACT
Australian Catholic University	Building and ICT upgrade to Blackfriars Priory	0.802
The Australian National University and the University of Canberra	Upgrading ICT infrastructure at UC for use by nursing and allied health education students in connection with the Rural and Community Clinical School, upgrading education and training facilities at selected regional sites; and, the development of broadband linkages in SE NSW	2.0

Media Release

$43 MILLION CAPITAL FUNDING BOOST FOR UNIVERISITES