Time for our own university

News of substantial cutbacks at Newcastle University and the clear consequences for the Ourimbah campus, once again raises the obvious question: Why has the Central Coast not got its own university?

With a population of 300,000, the Central Coast is one of the few regional areas of its size, to not to have its own university.

Universities such as the University of Central Queensland, University of Wollongong and James Cook at Townsville have shown how successful a well-run regional university can be.

The large number of overseas students attending these universities pumps significant export dollars into these regional economies.

Education services are now Queensland's second largest export earner.

The Ourimbah campus of Newcastle University offers an extremely limited range of courses and will always be in the shadow of its big brother.

Time to let go of the apron strings and have a university of which we can be proud.

Surely our Federal Members can see how beneficial such a long overdue development would be for the Central Coast.

Southern Cross University, for example, has a base population in the Lismore area and surrounds, of less than 100,000.

The Central Coast can and should go it alone.

If we can afford a football stadium of our own, surely our kids' futures dictate that a university should engender the same passion.

The alternative is to watch high-rise upon high-rise being built on the sole justification that the only employment we can generate for our kids is making beds or pouring cappuccinos.

Warren Cross, Wagstaffe