University of New England campus one step closer in Tamworth with $26.6 million officially handed over for construction

The construction of the University of New England (UNE) campus is expected to kick off in just a few weeks after $26.6 million dollars from the state government landed in the bank account for the project on Monday night.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said the campus will help ensure economic and social benefits for the Tamworth region for years to come.

"This is a red letter day for education," Mr Anderson said.

"This will provide an opportunity for students young and old to get an education, to get an qualification and a tertiary step up."

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The new campus located at the old velodrome site on the corner of Peel Street and Murray Street will host 3000 students and UNE vice chancellor Brigid Heywood said the tertiary educational centre had been specifically designed to meet the needs of Tamworth.

"Everything we do is co-designed and intimate with industry," Ms Heywood said.

"We're trying to make sure students are getting work experience when they're studying but also lifting the capacity of industry."

The campus is set to hold all the courses that are currently on offer at the UNE Armidale campus, with 13 extra programs that have been curated specifically for Tamworth.

"Tamworth is one of the cities with the lowest uptake of higher education in Australia," Ms Heywood said.

"This is really important for the fabric of a successful city."

While a university campus is all well and good Ms Heywood said an educational fund was also set to be launched to offer scholarships and financial assistance to make tertiary education accessible.

The turning of the soil was music to the ears of Tamworth University Reference Group chair Mitch Hanlon who has spent the last six years lobbying for the establishment of a university campus.

For what had been a long time coming, Mr Hanlon said it was a "great day" for Tamworth.

"You lay in bed frustrated about who will I talk to next, or what will I do, or is it worth pursuing," Mr Hanlon said.

"But I see people around me in the community who can't afford to send their kids to university of the businesses that can't find the staff they need to take their business to the next level."

With the campus expected to be fully operational and welcoming students in 2024, Tamworth Regional Council mayor Russell Webb said the construction of UNE would work in tandem with the 'Blueprint 100 plan', which aims to bring Tamworth's population to 100,000 people by 2041.

The clearing and levelling of the site is set to commence in the next few weeks, with community consultation to be announced regarding the architectural design of the campus.

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