The future of tertiary education and training in the outer east will be the topic of discussion at a public forum on Wednesday 26 September.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Graham Warren urged interested community members to attend the forum at Mt Lilydale Mercy College Centennial Hall, 120 Anderson Street, Lilydale at 5.30 pm.
“This forum will be an opportunity to discuss the needs and future of tertiary education in our region,” he said.
Cr Warren said Swinburne University’s recent announcement that they would be closing their Lilydale campus, had been met with widespread shock, disappointment and anger.
“Council has been working with the community to look to the future and to advocate for our region,” he said.
“We do not want young people or anyone else looking for further education to be disadvantaged by access to tertiary education and training.
“There are so many stories of young people, others looking for a career change or even mothers returning to the workforce who have had access to education and gone on to enjoy success in their careers and in the community.
“We want to take this opportunity to meet together and look for opportunities for the future.”
Cr Warren said the public forum would form part of an ongoing campaign to ensure tertiary opportunities for the outer east.
“We will continue to work to advocate for our further education in our region,” he said.
The public forum will be at:
Mt Lilydale Mercy College Centennial Hall
120 Anderson St, Lilydale
Wednesday 26 September at 5.30pm.
An agenda for the forum will be available soon.
1 comment:
Others might know the history better, but it seems that Swinburne Higher Education were offered the University status on the basis that they would start the Lilydale Campus and given the land by the State Government after it was Compulsorily acquired for the purpose some years ago as part of the original deal.
The current proposals to sell the land and its other lease agreements go against the original deal for University status and may be being done to politically blackmail the State into re-instating funding to the University which is still busily expanding in its already overcrowded Hawthorn Campus.
It seems lunacy to let Swinburne get out of their original deal and the Management should honor their contract with the people of Lilydale and the people of the State of Victoria by continuing to keep the Lilydale Campus open by reducing the already overcrowded Hawthorn Campus or relinguish their Uni status.
This whole threat is politically motivated in my opinion as the Uni property department had already sold off some of the rights to their land some years ago and these rights were being re-offered for sale two years ago without their knowledge until I personally advised them, so something was in the wings well before the State Govt cutbacks, however if Swinburne dont want to continue their contract, the buildings and land should be offered to another University from another State like Queensland or Western Australia or perhaps offering an overseas group the opportunity to move into the education business in competition with the short sighted and contract untrustworthy local universities.
I might just start advertising overseas myself to approach various groups who might like to take over the staff and education curriculum by offering them RENT FREE premises, which afterall is what Swinburne has been enjoying and now they are reneging on their deal. Sell some of their several hundred $million assets in Hawthorn and they could afford to keep running Lilydale imo.
Anyone have financial information to prepare a busiuness plan?
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