UTAS AND INVERESK LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

FROM THE EXAMINER

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WHAT POEPLE ARE SAYING

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UTAS   LINK TO EXAMINER PAGE

THE alarming removal of courses, functions and staffing from the northern UTAS campus stands in contrast to the promise by the university of 10,000 new enrolments at Inveresk.

Ratepayer representatives are understandably suspicious of fulfillment by the university of this aspiration particularly when valuable land is being gifted to the university.

The council perceives ongoing social and economic compensation, a substantial ‘dividend’ for ratepayers and the city from university activity at Inveresk in exchange for the land.

And the proposal only makes sense if that undeniably significant activity is the outcome. The problem, however, is that while council has included conditions about timing and completion it has not specified performance conditions about increased enrolments and university activity.

 Without that increased staffing and enrolment the proposal is the sort of ‘dud’ ratepayers suspect.

Only by council specifying these conditions as part of the approval process is there sufficient incentive for the university to deliver to the city and region the justification for alienating public land. 

It is not unreasonable to specify these conditions, given the university’s own repeated promises. 

— DR MICHAEL POWELL, Lecturer, Launceston.
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Utas  LINK TO EXAMINER PAGE 

THE Federal and State Government fund UTAS , all three have multi million dollars budgets. Launceston City Council (ratepayers) has a budget about $100 million. Why should the ratepayers of Launceston subsidies (give Willis Street and old Velodrome) to UTAS for nothing. Treasurer Peter Gutwein stated he would make available $60 million to help the move of Utas to Inveresk. Well come on Peter, let us see your generosity. Bass electorate was very kind at the last state election voting into office three Liberal members. Will you compensate the ratepayers for loss of funds?

— BASIL J. FITCH, South Launceston
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Tamar  LINK TO EXAMINER PAGE

I TOO was pleased to read the editorial piece contributed by The Examiner in regard to the lost Tamar River. I could not help to agree with every written line but I also believe there needs to be a much deeper investigation into the vast and growing contamination problem that has silently been allowed to occur. The big talk of moving the college to the floating swamp area to me is astounding, supplying even more sewage and obviously more nasties into the convenient North Esk while the wisdom of all this it seems it can only happen in Launceston, all this mess would have to be attended to before there can be any hope of restoring the rivers flow even then it is estimated it could take up to 3 years of full flow to bring the current silt deposits under control.

— GEOFF SMEDLEY, Launceston.

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UTAS   LINK TO EXAMINER PAGE

I’M SURE most people in the North would agree that the Newnham Campus of UTAS has the ambiances and capacity to be a top class learning centre. Students would want the space, the beautiful new buildings (as suggested for Inveresk), lets not waste this opportunity to give Launceston a boot up the ladder to stardom in academia. Let’s embrace the space in Newnham and watch it fly, instead of cramped Inveresk where it will wither and die. 

— RON BAINES, Kings Meadows.