CQU Rockhampton will get a synthetic running track - the only one between Townsville and the Sunshine Coast - as part of a federal funding package worth more than $2 million.

The VSU Transition Funding announced on October 16 will also go towards floodlit tennis courts at Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Mackay campuses and continued improvements to facilities at the Rockhampton sporting precinct.

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Rickard congratulated "colleagues across the University who established common ground and worked hard for the benefit of students and the community".

"The federal government funding, secured by CQU for the benefit of the community, will transform our sporting facilities and enhance a Central Queensland resource, providing better services and new opportunities for community engagement, education and research in the area of physical fitness, health and well-being and sport."

The news is the cream on the cake for CQU's Health and Human Performance Associate Professor Peter Reaburn and CQU's General Manager of Commercial Operations Paul Lancaster, who earlier this year expressed confidence in the future of sports facilities at Rockhampton Campus.

At that time, the University was already part-way through sports facility upgrades worth millions of dollars, designed to benefit students, staff and the whole regional community.

"The driving force was to make our sports facilities on a par with those at capital city campuses and help with marketing for students," Mr Lancaster said.

Back in April, around $1 million worth of works recently completed or underway included:

- A near-doubling of gymnasium space and new gym equipment, along with a new gym entrance, a pool upgrade (filtration and painting), and new toilets and change rooms for the pool and gym;

- A purpose-built Health and PE teaching space in the sports centre precinct;

- An upgrade of the sports stadium floor;

- New lights for the covered basketball court;

- Refurbishment of tennis and netball courts;

The CQU Council had also just approved expenditure of $2.9 million to air-condition the sports stadium and to add a mezzanine floor, providing office space for CQU's Health and Human Performance and Health and PE sections, and spectator viewing areas.

Mr Lancaster said the redevelopment was part of a strategic plan 5 years in the making which will finally see the completion of the sports precinct to a standard Central Queenslanders can be proud of.

"The support of the community, business and Rockhampton City Council set the seeds for the project and CQU has now seen fit to complete the dream for the benefit of students, staff and the whole community," Mr Lancaster said.

"Like all facilities it will have significant operational running costs which will be defrayed through commercial activities including memberships and casual facility hire as well as long term user arrangements. It is important for the community to remember that this facility is not just for students - community groups and clubs are encouraged to enquire about availability".

Associate Professor Reaburn said the expansion opened up opportunities for Human Movement Science students and students from many other programs to learn in a relevant environment and for greater interaction between students, community members and athletes from a wide variety of local, regional, state and national level sports.

"This is fantastic for the whole community and the University which has as its mission to strongly engage with the local community and region," Dr Reaburn said.

"Along with Rockhampton's river for rowing and canoeing and velodrome for cycling, this creates another national-class facility worthy as a training venue for sporting teams and athletes, and Rockhampton's weather will be a selling point as well.

"Extra use of the facilities by teams and sports people creates great opportunities for community engagement and great hands-on, authentic learning opportunities for Human Movement Science students.

"The sports centre will be able to attract athletics events and other sports events and this will be a great match with our program in terms of learning and teaching opportunities."