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BUILDING a new University of Tasmania campus near the centre of Launceston is a clever move sure to pull the city out of its economic funk, says Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Michael Bailey.
............ Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull effectively locked in the $300 million Northern Cities project to build inner-city campuses in Launceston and Burnie, today matching the $150 million in support already pledged by Labor ahead of the July 2 poll. ............ Mr Bailey said Launceston and northeastern Tasmania generally would benefit from the cash injection a major construction project could bring. ............ In the longer term, there were the societal and economic benefit that would flow from the placement of large numbers of students in the city. ............ He said the move would also enable UTAS to fully express its laser-sharp focus on research in Launceston and Burnie, facilitating greater engagement with local industries to build smarter more competitive economies. ............ He said the project would be transformational for Burnie, but for Launceston and the North-East it could be an economic saviour. ............ The council will donate $4.5 million worth of land for the UTAS Launceston development and construct a pedestrian and cycling bridge across the North Esk River to improve access. ............ “That is very important for jobs, which will happen in the construction phase, but it also improve education in northern Tasmania,” Ald van Zetten said. ............ The City Heart development includes $5 million from the State Government and is scheduled to take five years to complete. ............ EARLIER: Speaking on ABC radio this morning, Mr Turnbull said the Coalition would contribute $150 million towards the UTAS relocation project. ............ He said the funding had no strings attached and was not contingent on university deregulation. ............ The project is now assured, with Labor backing the funding earlier in the campaign. ............ The Mercury has campaigned hard for the uni expansion as part of its Fair Go for Tasmania series investigation. ............ University sources said it was a major win for Tasmania.
QUESTIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONIES
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RELATED STORY: UTAS Vice-Chancellor's travel costs disappoint union http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-04/uni-travel-spending-under-scrutiny/7218208 .....
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The University of Tasmania has been criticised for refusing to release information about its Vice-Chancellor's salary and travel expenses ......... Leaked travel documents obtained by the ABC in March revealed the university had approved more than $50,000 in overseas travel by Vice-Chancellor Peter Rathjen between September 2015 and January this year. ............ The travel included first class flights and a $1,100-a-night hotel in New York. ............ A right to information request for further details about Mr Rathjen's travel bill and salary has been rejected. ............ In its response, the university said disclosing the travel and remuneration information would be contrary to the public interest. ............ It also stated that releasing the information would be likely to expose the university to a competitive disadvantage because potential employees may be deterred from applying for positions at UTAS if they knew their salary and travel costs would be open to public scrutiny. ............ Right to information expert Associate Professor Rick Snell said the university could have been more forthcoming. ............ "My initial reaction, as a person intimately involved with right to information requests, is disappointment," he said. ............ "I think the response from the university should have been more fulsome, should have had more detail to it." ............ More transparency at other universities: Snell ............ He said many other universities were much more forthcoming with travel expense details. ............ "I think this is towards the lower end of the spectrum of transparency," he said. ............ National Union of Students Tasmanian president Clark Cooley said students wanted to know where their money was being spent. ............ "We understand that the Vice-Chancellor and the senior leadership team need to travel internationally, but it is important that there is a transparent and accountable system in place to make sure that students and taxpayers are getting their money's worth," he said. ............ "We have called for a more transparent approach to travel for the Vice-Chancellor and senior leadership team."
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