At the West Tamar Council meeting on January 15, mayor Christina Holmdahl will put forward a notice of motion to ask UTAS to enhance the current numbers of professors and associate professors based in the state’s North.

The notice of motion would not be binding to UTAS should it pass.

“Since the announcement of the relocation of the Launceston UTAS campus to Inveresk, council have been concerned about the course offerings and support which will be available to Northern students,“ Cr Holmdahl said.

“I believe it is appropriate that council has an active role in lobbying for these changes, and look forward to working with the current administration who have already started to improve opportunities for students and staff in the North”.

The council received a delegation made up of professor Martin Renison, Dr Brian Hartnett, former Launceston mayor Don Wing, and professor Coleman O’Flaherty at its December workshop.

The group aimed for more undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the North, the movement from a hub-and-spoke model based in Hobart, and moving administrative roles back to Launceston.

Professor O’Flaherty provided statistics to the councillors showing that in 1993, there were 21 professors and associate professors in Launceston and 87 in Hobart.

However year later in 2017, there was very little change in Launceston numbers, but more than a 75 per cent increase in Hobart.