The first $10 million has been granted by the state government to progress the University of Tasmania’s $260 million campus relocation project.
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At the university’s Inveresk architecture building on Thursday, Premier Will Hodgman granted $10 million to develop the project.
The final tranche of $50 million has been allocated in the government’s forward estimates – and will be provided in 2020.
To coincide with the announcement, new conceptual images were released showing how the proposed development could look.
Mr Hodgman said by providing the $10 million, the state government was “helping to kick-start the project in a practical way”.
“It’s a significant amount of state public funding, but very well spent,” he said.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the grant would be spent on progressing engineering, planning and design of the project.
“We’re starting to get to the point where cash flow into the project is required, so we’re making a downpayment today,” he said.
The campus relocation will have several milestones to achieve before the $50 million is provided in 2020.
Mr Gutwein said one of those milestones was that work on the site was scheduled to start late next year.
But the university’s outgoing vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen hoped construction could start sooner.
“I’d like to go much faster than that,” he said.
“We’d like to start construction just as soon as the Launceston public is convinced we’re building the right campus for their city, and the council gives us the approval to go ahead.
He hoped a master plan for the site could be released almost immediately.
With a development application for the project closer, Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten said the council would “like to see it as soon as it’s possible” after it goes through consultation stages.
“This project is just absolutely fantastic and critical that we can get it up as soon as we can to make sure that we improve education standards,” he said.
As the Tasmanian Government stumped up its cash, Mr Hodgman was pressed about the state of federal funding for the project.
“That matter is for the Commonwealth – we’re here today on behalf the state of Tasmania and its government,” he said.
“With respect of what the Commonwealth are doing, you’ll need to ask them.”
Professor Rathjen later confirmed, “there is no problem” with federal funding arrangement, and said an announcement would be made shortly.
UTAS will also receive $15 million from the state government for its Burnie campus project this financial year.