The Liberals have pledged to block the University of Tasmania from selling land at its Sandy Bay campus if re-elected.
Party candidates for the seat of Clark announced their position on the move on Tuesday morning, saying they would pass legislation preventing the university from selling current land without parliament’s support.
The site of the University of Tasmania was gifted by the people of Tasmania to the University in 1951.
“The Liberal Party respects the right of the University to establish new facilities in the Hobart CBD and elsewhere if they wish,” Clark candidates said.
“This arrangement strikes the right balance between protecting the public interest and allowing the University to get on with their business, which is educating young Tasmanians.”
The proposed legislation change would be implemented within the first 100 days.
A poll conducted in 2022 revealed that 74% of City of Hobart electors were against the university’s plan to divest its land.
SaveUTAS co-chair Mike Foster said the announcement was a sign the former government “has lost confidence in UTAS leadership” and said both Chancellor Alison Watkins and Vice Chancellor Black should resign.
“Fresh leadership will give hope to disillusioned staff and students. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been squandered on this ill-conceived relocation project,” he said.
“UTAS is presently wasting a further $130 million on what might be Hobart’s most extravagant refurbishment, a useless building in Melville Street which will be far from the campus and too small to be useful. All expenditure needs to stop.”
“Having borrowed hundreds of millions for the project, UTAS needs to end its secrecy and open its books to reveal the state of its finances.”
“That will enable the major parties to determine what financial support a future government will need to provide to restore teaching and research to optimum levels.”
He hoped the Melville Street building and all other empty or under-utilised properties owned by UTAS around the Hobart CBD would be “sold as soon as possible” to make space for inner city housing and money for the Sandy Bay campus refurbishment.
