Should Labor win the federal election, $10 million will be invested in the Ballarat Innovation and Research Collaboration for Health initiative.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The research centre, which is seeking $19 million to get off the ground, will bring together both of Ballarat's hospitals and six universities for medical research cooperation.
It will allow more medical students to train in Ballarat, and will attract researchers and funding to the area - already, one Deakin University researcher has begun work, with another from Federation University set to begin soon.
A federal Labor press release noted the 10-year plan includes 300 health researchers, while it's hoped 1000 will be working and living in the region within 20 years - this focus could improve healthcare outcomes for regional people.
Incumbent Ballarat MP Catherine King will visit the Webster Street centre on Wednesday to announce the funding.
BIRCH's executive director, Associate Professor Mark Yates, said it was a "substantial" commitment to a "uniquely Ballarat" project.
"In regional towns, you very rarely have six universities all with healthcare interests and two major health services," he said.
"That has provided Ballarat with an enormous research engine, but what we have lacked up until now, and what we will lack without this funding, is a means to bring those researchers together in a single collaboration which is identifiable as Ballarat."
He added he would welcome a matching promise from the Coaltion, and said it would "give Ballarat the opportunity to secure becoming leading research centre in Victoria".
The funding promise follows a $300,000 commitment from the state government in October.
Ms King was in town on Tuesday with shadow education spokesperson Andrew Giles, promising upgrades for public school facilities.
As well as money for shadecloths and science labs for primary schools across the electorate, Ms King promised $76,000 to rebuild jetties at Ballarat High School's rowing shed, a total of $200,000 for Ballarat schools.
Mr Giles claimed the Coalition would remove millions of dollars from education funding if re-elected.
The new jetty will be made from recycled plastic, supplied by a Ballarat-based company, replacing ageing wooden structures.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
