The devil is invariably in the detail and there was no difference in the Federal Government’s 2016 budget. The more overt the offerings which reiterate a mantra of “jobs and growth” the more you can be sure there is a sting lurking beneath the appeasements. The serious cuts to university programs and in particular to scholarships programs set up to offer opportunities for the socially and economically disadvantaged are of grave concern for Ballarat. It may appear as little more than a few obscure lines in the voluminous budget documents but it is worth reflecting on the flow-on impacts of the cuts.
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It should be said from the outset Federation University is absolutely critical to Ballarat, not just as the leading tertiary institution in the region but for the often immeasurable benefits a university adds to the social and intellectual fabric of a city. It is no secret that regional universities have struggled to compete with their much larger and richer Metropolitan cousins. The draw of prestige courses and high achievers to the top ten universities is already something of a “brain drain” on regional Australia but to simply give up in this fight and allow capital cities to swallow the market would wreak untold social and economic damage to many regional centres. Shutdowns and course efficiencies have already had a marked impact on the life of the Horsham campus. Warrnambool is struggling and Federation University, it is hoped, will be the savior as Deakin abandons its commitment to that regional city. But this will come at a cost and cost savings are what the Federal Government is seeking to find in the Tertiary Sector. It is a blow for the regions that the first and easiest cuts have been aimed at them.
Even more bewildering is the fact cuts to the tertiary education sector fly in the face of the Treasurer’s advocated position of an innovation revolution key to his transition economy. If Australia is to wean itself off the export benefits of primary industry the answer does indeed lie in innovation but the starting point for that is education. In the regions this higher education is more critical than ever for increased expertise, research and development - and more basically to avoid losing a generation who migrates for tertiary and business opportunity. As the enrolments dwindle so do the resources and with them the advanced expertise, personnel and all the associated benefits which are a vital part of a regional city. This is just one of the cuts a city like Ballarat can ill-afford.