VC’s corner
campusreview.com.au
Keeping it local
Regional universities are critical to
the health of regional communities.
By Geraldine Mackenzie
T
he mission of the University of
Southern Queensland (USQ), like
universities the world over, is to lead in
economic and social development through
higher education and research excellence.
But unlike metropolitan universities, USQ’s
community-centred values are grounded in
our regional heritage.
As a regional university, we are a major
employer in our region. We develop human
capital and skills through our graduates,
contribute to the development of industry
through research and innovation, and
facilitate the social, cultural and community
development of our region.
I am firmly of the view that regional
universities have never been more important
than now.
Universities, particularly in regional
communities, exist to serve the needs of
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our community. Whether to educate school
leavers, provide degree programs to those
already in the workforce or wanting to
return to formal education, or the creation
of basic or applied research and innovation,
universities offer an essential resource to
the community.
Regional Australia is the heartland of
this country. It is home to one-third of our
population, and produces two-thirds of our
exports. Those of us who live or work in our
regions know that regional universities are
central to their communities, providing a
basis for economic and social development
through meaningful, wide-ranging
engagement in education and research.
Regional universities underpin the economic
and social development and growth of
their regions.
USQ, like many Australian regional
universities, has multiple campuses spread
over a large geographic area. USQ’s home
campus is in Toowoomba, 130km west
of Brisbane, and commenced operations
initially as QIT (Darling Downs) in 1967, with
founding disciplines of engineering, business
and the sciences. Education was added in
1971 when it became the Darling Downs
Institute of Advanced Education. Other
disciplines followed, including the arts, for
which the institution is well known, and the
University of Southern Queensland was
created in 1992.
The institution came about as a direct
result of campaigning by Toowoomba
community leaders over many years,
and those close links, as well as a sense
of ownership and pride in the university,
remain strong across Toowoomba and the
Darling Downs.
Toowoomba’s economy is booming. Key
industries for the region include agriculture,
health, education, manufacturing and retail.
A number of major projects are underway,
including Australia’s largest-ever inland road
project, the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second
Range Crossing Project, and the Melbourne
to Brisbane inland rail, commencing in
the near future, with government funding
commitments already in place. Together
with the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport
(Australia’s first privately funded major
airport), these projects generate unique
opportunities for industry to prosper, with
the creation of the region as a leading
transport hub.
According to the 2016 census,
Toowoomba’s population was just over
160,000, with 24 per cent of the population
having tertiary qualifications of diploma
or above, a strong comparison with the
Queensland average of 27 per cent.
Toowoomba is also home to a range of
outstanding secondary schools, many of
which take students as boarders, servicing
western Queensland in particular. It is no
surprise, therefore, that USQ has a proud
heritage in Toowoomba and beyond.
USQ has two other campuses in Ipswich,
a regional city just outside of Brisbane;
one in Ipswich city itself, and the other in
the planned community of Springfield, a
rapidly growing area of 36,000 residents
so far. Both campuses are located within a
zone of significant population growth to the
west of Brisbane, along the Warrego and
Cunningham highways, referred to as the
Western Corridor.
The Western Corridor represents an area
of high current and forecast population
growth over the coming years. Ipswich
is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities,
with government data showing a sustained
economic growth at 3.5 per cent per annum
over the last decade.