A project that will change the face of Launceston in more ways than one is literally rising from the ground.
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This week the sod was officially turned on the first stage of the University of Tasmania's Inveresk campus, which will unfold and be built over three stages over the next four years.
The first stage of the project, a library and student services building, along with a pedestrian bridge, has been approved by the Launceston council, with piling work to start imminently.
The UTAS Inveresk campus falls under its more broader Northern Transformation plan, aims to provide modern, fit-for-purpose learning spaces for a new generation of students.
It's anticipated 10,000 students will be engaged with the Inveresk campus every year by 2032.
Students will be on campus for traditional bachelor's degrees, associate degrees or higher degrees by research; undertaking short courses or micro-credentials, often outside of typical work hours; or accessing study developed and delivered online by academics working out of Inveresk.
The Northern Transformation plan was announced in 2017 and included bold plans for UTAS to build new campuses at Inveresk in Launceston and West Park in Burnie.
Subsequently, the Inveresk campus was unveiled as the cornerstone of the Launceston City Deal, which is a joint project between the federal and state governments, along with the City of Launceston council and other associated parties, such as UTAS.
Launceston-based pro vice-chancellor Dom Geraghty said the university would be transforming in two major ways - in both its physical buildings and its education offerings and community engagement.
"This is the single largest infrastructure investment in the North of the state, it will have flow on effects for years, if not decades," he said.
"But what is happening in conjunction with that is that we are changing our mode of delivery.
"The university is making a clear commitment to maintain its presence in the state.
Construction on West Park has already started, with the first building under construction.
"We have these multiple components of the building happening at the same time," Professor Geraghty said.
'STAYING PUT'
Professor Geraghty said in a move that appeared to buck the trend of other states, UTAS was cementing its commitment to not only Hobart, but also its regional campuses.
"What you will find on the mainland is that a lot of mainland universities have closed their regional campuses, they've said to their students that if you want to study at university you have to study in the city," he said.
"This is contrary to that - we are doing the exact opposite, we are maintaining universities in the regions."
Professor Geraghty said the university had made a clear commitment, outlined in its strategic plan, which was released by vice chancellor Rufus Black last year, to commit to distinct place-based learning outcomes.
Those learning outcomes would be regionally distinctive, for example the homes of nursing and education will remain in Launceston but the North-West Coast will branch out into a new advanced manufacturing offering, which is a burgeoning industry there.
That place-based approach has already had some success in Launceston, Professor Geraghty said, with the popularity of the accelerated Bachelor of Business, which is run from the Enterprize Hub at Macquarie House, in Civic Square.
Professor Geraghty said UTAS was embedding place-based learning into all of its undergraduate courses, to enable its students to receive real-world experience in their chosen degrees, which will give them a better understanding of how they can apply their learning to the work environment.
THE FIRST STEP
However, with all the changes being made to the learning delivery model, Professor Geraghty said excitement was beginning to build over the building of the first stage of the campus.
The development application was approved with "little resistance" by the City of Launceston council last year, which was a milestone step, he said.
UTAS has held community consultation sessions at Station Cottage since the Inveresk campus master plan was revealed and Professor Geraghty said the feedback so far had been a cross-section.
"Some people are very excited about it, but there has been a cross-section of people," he said.
"The DA went through quickly, with little resistance to it, so therefore when you don't have a negative response you assume that most people are happy with it."
The first step in construction, following the official sod turning last week, will be the driving of piles into the site at Inveresk where the library and student services building will be situated.
The piles will be driven into the ground over a period of 12 weeks, and will be the first type of activity to be seen on the site.
Professor Geraghty said over the next few months, the first building will rise out of the ground, which is very exciting for the university.
"What people will see, is they will see a pile driving and there will be some minor noise," he said.
"There will be some disruption so we have identified all the stakeholders and locals who live here and have completed consultation.
Professor Geraghty said the intrusion for the works would be minor and it would not impact access to the site, and all businesses would operate as normal.
Students living in the existing accommodation will not be impacted, other than by the noises but the piles won't be driven in 24 hours a day.
The library and student services building is expected to be complete by the end of 2021.
The second part of the first stage of development is a pedestrian bridge, which has been awarded to BridgePro for a design and construct tender.
The bridge will connect the Willis Street site with Inveresk and will provide a pedestrian link.
It is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
WHAT WILL THE LIBRARY HOUSE?
Professor Geraghty said the first building, the library and student experience building will be the hub and centre of the new campus.
"Students will come in to undertake their students, there will be space for students to come together for collaborative learning," he said.
The three-level building will house different types of spaces to suit different types of learning.
For example, the first floor will be the library, there will be a cafe there and social gathering spaces.
The second floor will include communal study spaces and other library items, so it will be a bit quieter and the third will be for students wanting to undertake intense and silent study.
However, there was one way this library will differ - it will be open to the public.
"It will be open to the public, open to the community, they will be no distinction to walking into university or QVMAG," Professor Geraghty said.
"We want to bring people into the site and have a coffee and engage with the university."
One of the ways the university is aiming to become a "university for Tasmania" is by throwing open the doors of its new campuses and becoming a place where anyone can do research and engage with, regardless of whether you are a student or not.
Professor Geraghty said it was vital to encouraging participation, engagement but also to allow the university to provide services for the community.
"My view and the view of the vice-chancellor [Rufus Black] is that it's the university of tasmania [sic], in little letters, because the socioeconomic demographic of Launceston is different than, for example, Melbourne."
"We want to encourage people who may not have considered higher education of any kind."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The campus will be built over three stages, with the final stage to be complete by 2024.
The second building, which has been labelled the learning and teaching building, will be constructed next.
It will be located behind the existing architecture building and will house arts, humanities, education.
Professor Geraghty said the development application for that building was being pulled together now and is expected to come before the council by mid-year.
The final development application for the Willis St is expected to be before the council by the end of the year.
Willis Street is "the biggest and most complex" of the buildings, and will be connected via the bridge.
Professor Geraghty said it would be exciting to see the site converge by 2024.
"The idea of having the Willis St site on the opposite side of the river connected by a bridge, we are creating a promenade through the site," he said.
"A lot of the campus will be made up of laneways - ways that people will be literally drawn on the campus."
It will house health and, at this stage, a new research facility for Launceston.
Solutions around parking will still need to be resolved, with the university not yet announcing a resolution since a deal between it and Glebe Farms fell over.