Today I will handover this space to one of The Examiner's senior journalists. Caitlin Jarvis, who is our education reporter, has been working on a series for the past three months, which was launched on Saturday. Again, the first article was for your eyes only for 24 hours. It was our way of saying thanks for your support. Your loyalty means journalists like Caitlin, could invest many hours of work in creating a series that will hopefully create change in our community.
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Before I go, we would love for you to join us and the many people who have already signed up for the print centre tour on March 6. To register go to this link.
Until next week,
Courtney
Under the Surface
A glance up the banks of the Tamar River from the East Tamar Highway and it’s likely you would have caught a glimpse of the Australian Maritime College.
Located in Launceston, kilometres from the ocean, lies a national treasure of higher education - an internationally recognised maritime facility.
For decades the AMC, as it is colloquially known, has been a quiet achiever, educating the brightest minds in maritime seafaring and engineering by the thousands.
There are not many people who know the important work the AMC does. The campus is not as shiny as the University of Tasmania’s main campus - the grouping of concrete and metal sheds are much more functional and practical.
Even fewer people would even know what is done at the AMC - but it’s time to change that.
That is why The Examiner is taking you on a deep dive, behind the roller doors of the AMC in its new investigative series Under the Surface.
The AMC is on the cusp of great change - there is an opportunity for it to grow and transform into a new and vibrant campus and allow it to grab hold of the federal government’s intention to invest significantly into the defence sector.
A defence innovation precinct has been proposed as a joint initiative between the Tasmanian Government, the federal government and AMC as a way for the institution to move forward.
There have been scant details to date about what that defence precinct may look like but over the course of this investigative series we will bring you that information and provide some clarity over the future of the facility.
Under the Surface will also bring you stories of those who work at the AMC and the students who are contributing to new and profound research that will shape and change the way we understand the ocean and how we travel through it.
As a journalist, I strive to be able to tell these stories every day - not only because they are important but because they are often the stories of those who don’t have a strong voice.
Scientists at the AMC (or any other research facility) are typically quiet achievers - except for academically publishing their work, they don’t often are or want to be in the public eye.
But they deserve to be, because of their contribution, not only to Launceston, or Tasmania, but the world.
As a voice for our region, we are also conscious of standing up and ensuring those in power take note of what we, as a community, know is important.
That is why Under the Surface is calling for both sides of federal politics to support and fund the AMC defence precinct proposal and ensure a vibrant future for the institution.
Your support as digital subscribers is invaluable, as it allows us to invest time and resources into sharing these important stories and to help shed light on these issues for our region.
We value this commitment from you so, in return, we have decided to make this story, the first in the Under the Surface series, for your eyes only. For 24 hours this story will be exclusive to subscribers and we hope you enjoy what you read.
I hope you enjoy the series and thank you for your support. If you would like to contribute, and share your story or experience of the AMC contact me at caitlin.jarvis@fairfaxmedia.com.au or, alternatively, you can send a letter to the editor.
Thanks,
Caitlin Jarvis