A healthy boost for CQUniversity's infrastructure ahead of 'dual sector' merger
Published on 21 September, 2012
There's been a healthy boost to CQUniversity's infrastructure recently with projects worth around $50 million reaching fruition on several campuses.
CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman has pledged that the new facilities will complement the University's plans to become a dual sector institution through a merger with Central Queensland Institute of TAFE, making it the first dual sector institution in Queensland.
Once the merger is given the final green light - expected soon - CQUniversity hopes to move ahead with a further $73.8 million worth of projects earmarked by the Federal Government, including $16 million for Part B of the Allied Health Clinic in Rockhampton, $12 million for refurbishment of the Mackay TAFE and $16 million for a new engineering laboratory in Mackay.
The recently completed projects have included several with health benefits, including around $10 million spent on an Allied Health Clinic and a new Oral Health Laboratory for Rockhampton Campus, with the bulk of funding coming from Health Workforce Australia.
CQUniversity has also added a $1.5 million medical sonography laboratory to its Sydney Campus, with similar developments proposed for CQUniversity campuses in Brisbane and Melbourne coming soon.
These developments follow in the wake of $4 million spent on Medical and Applied Sciences Laboratories at Mackay Campus in 2011, especially to support medical imaging and chiropractic sciences.
The University has also spent up big on major refurbishments to a former CSIRO complex to create the new Central Queensland Innovation and Research Precinct (CQIRP) across the road from its Rockhampton Campus.
Engineering students have not been forgotten, with $10.7 million spent this year to refurbish the Engineering Precinct on Rockhampton Campus.
Campuses in Rockhampton and Mackay have each gained new library facilities in the last couple of years, with $7.85 million spent on Mackay's Technology and Information Resource Centre and $7.4 million spent to completely refurbish Rockhampton's Library.