A former Hobart Lord Mayor has slammed the state government’s proposed legislation to keep the University of Tasmania campus in Sandy Bay, saying it will hold back the city’s growth.
Sue Hickey, who is backing Labor’s calls to drop the legislation, said many students in the outskirts and valleys surrounding Hobart “don’t see” attending the university “as part of their future”.
“Education gives kids hope to get out of poverty and it’s critical that our kids in Tasmania have the exact same aspirations and hopes as those that live very close to the Sandy Bay campus,” Hickey said.
“In Glenorchy, we’re a long way away, but it’s further if you come from Brighton or New Norfolk or Huonville or Sorell.”
“People say, ‘Oh, it’s only two bus fares’, but … the way the transport system’s working at the moment, it’s a very difficult route, particularly in winter.”
Hickey, the now-Glenorchy Mayor, accused Sandy Bay locals of “NIMBY-ism” and suggested they “broaden their horizon”.
“The university’s changed its business model to meet the needs of the future,” she said.
“I am a die-hard passionate fan, genuinely, of this move. I honestly think it’s a bit like when Ansett collapsed and when Kodak went out of business, it was because they failed to innovate and failed to change their business model.”
Opposition leader Dean Winter said the move to the city centre could be the difference between a young person choosing to go to university or not.
“We need to have young Tasmanians seeing a future for themselves, studying at the university and knowing that it’s easy for them to get to, easy for them to work, easy for them to live,” he said.
“I think Jeremy Rockliff knows that what he’s doing is a terrible thing for the state.”
“The university has been embarking on a path of moving into the city. It had the sign-off of the federal, state, local government before it started. It’s nearly 70% done and now the Tasmanian government’s trying to rip the rope from underneath them.”
A 2022 elector poll carried out in the Hobart City Council area found 74% of voters were opposed to the city move.
Liberal MP Madeleine Ogilvie last week said the government has a “has a very clear election mandate” to implement the policy.
“The site of the University of Tasmania was gifted by the people of Tasmania to the University in 1951,” she said.
“This legislation strikes the right balance between protecting the public interest and allowing the University to get on with their business, which is to educate young Tasmanians.”
