By JESSE GRAHAM
A WAR of words has erupted between political parties after last week’s announcement that TAFE would be returning to Lilydale next year – only not at the former Swinburne site.
Box Hill Institute CEO Norman Gray announced on Wednesday 8 October that Box Hill would be setting up a campus in Lilydale with the Centre for Adult Education, offering classes at the beginning of 2015.
The TAFE will be offering 20 courses in subjects such as health and aged care, construction and animal studies, along with VET classes for high school students and the possibility of transferring from a diploma to a degree with Deakin University.
Mr Gray was accompanied by Minister for Higher Education and Skills, Nick Wakeling, and Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe, who announced government support of $2.25 million for the TAFE.
The location for the new campus was not announced on the day, with Mr Gray citing negotiations over the lease for the site, but a Box Hill Institute representative confirmed the campus would not be at the former Swinburne campus.
Labor candidate for Evelyn Peter Harris and Deputy Opposition Leader James Merlino said the fact that Box Hill would not be running from Swinburne’s campus was an “insult” to the community.
“To come along and offer us a shop-front, we think, it is pretty insulting, as a TAFE and a university sits there as a ghost town,” Mr Harris said.
“Last week’s announcement by the government does not even attempt trying to get away with calling their ‘solution’ a campus, instead choosing the ambiguous ‘flexible learning centre’,” Mr Merlino said.
Mr Wakeling and Ms Fyffe said on the day that the provider’s move to Lilydale was not influenced by government, but decided upon before the funding was organised.
“The most important thing is that it is Box Hill’s decision on its own,” Ms Fyffe said.
“The new CEO and board have done an evaluation to see if it’s profitable, and they’re in for the long-term.
“If I was 20 years younger, I’d be doing cartwheels,” Ms Fyffe said.
Mr Gray said that, following Swinburne University of Technology’s closure of its Lilydale campus in 2013, there had been a gap in further and higher education for school-leavers.
“The community here, we know, hasn’t been getting the vocational education for employment,” he said.
“It’s an area that’s not well serviced at the moment – we consider it to be part of the extended community, so we thought we can’t miss this opportunity.”
He said that running a traditional TAFE was not financially sustainable, but that video conferencing technology and transportable training equipment would be used for students in the Lilydale campus.
Labor announced earlier in the year that, if it wins government in the 29 November election, it will re-open the former Swinburne campus to university and TAFE, possibly by compulsorily re-acquiring the campus if it was sold.
Mr Wakeling criticised the pledge, and called on the opposition to support the new Box Hill campus.
“Government should not be in the business of telling educational facilities what courses they operate, from what buildings and what staff they employ – that is not the role of this government,” he said.
“Box Hill made the decision that they wish to provide services here, because there were none.
“I’m calling on the opposition to back the decision of Box Hill TAFE.”
Yarra Ranges Councillor, Maria McCarthy said the announcement was a ’great outcome’ for students, who could now enrol to study in Lilydale next year.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” she said.
Rumours have circulated that the campus could be opening at a former car-yard in Lilydale – Box Hill Institute was contacted with the rumour, but no response was given before deadline.
