By Natasha Fujimoto
ADVANCING its commitment to broadening opportunities for the region’s university students, La Trobe University Shepparton has officially began its $20M refurbishment with a sod turning ceremony on Wednesday, July 12.
The refurbishment and campus extension will directly address the critical shortage of teaching and nursing professionals across the municipality and beyond.
With Senator for Victoria Jana Stewart, Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keefe, Vice-Chancellor La Trobe Professor John Dewar AO and Greater Shepparton City Council mayor, Cr Shane Sali all on hand to collectively loosen the first ceremonial patch, the works will take approximately 18 months to complete.
Funding for the significant campus redevelopment includes $15M contributed by La Trobe University’s major regional investment plan and $5M from the Commonwealth Government.
The funding will double the current clinical learning area for nursing students, expand the library, provide modern learning spaces and extend the Ngarrapna space where Indigenous students can study and access specialised support.
In addition, the refurbishment will boost enrolments, foster greater collaboration with external partners and provide space for community events.
Having grown up in Swan Hill and a La Trobe alumni, senator for Victoria Jana Stewart said, “It is deeply important to me that rural communities have access to the same high-quality facilities and education as young people growing up in metro areas.”
Keen to maintain the campus’ unique regional spirit amongst the redevelopment, La Trobe Shepparton’s head of campus Elizabeth Capp said,
“It’s a fantastic investment in our region for our university and it will mean much improved facilities for our students. We are doubling the size of our nursing lab which is exciting so we can take more nurses in and graduate more nurses into our region, and we’ll have lovely informal and formal study spaces for students so they can undertake hybrid learning. I think it’s also important that we acknowledge the heritage of the region as part of the campus. It is La Trobe but it’s also La Trobe Shepparton.”
