The new Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence (MCRE), located next to the Shepparton Sports Stadium, is set to empower and transform the education pathways for both Yorta Yorta communities and the broader Goulburn Murray region. Named after the Yorta Yorta word for “thunder,” Munarra represents the strength and impact this First Nations-led institution is expected to have.
AS Australia’s first university designed and led by First Nations people, the MCRE is groundbreaking. Its state-of-the-art facilities reflect Aboriginal knowledge and decades of effort to place Indigenous people at the forefront of higher education. This project is a partnership involving the Victorian Government, which contributed $30.2 million, the Rumbalara Football Netball Club (RFNC), the Kaiela Institute, and the University of Melbourne, which added $6.65 million to the initiative.
The project was completed by 70 percent First Nations-owned company, TVN-On Country, who exceeded ambitious social procurement targets during construction. Occupying a 3,000m2 space on a 1.486-hectare site on land leased from Greater Shepparton City Council under a 50-year peppercorn lease.
This-cutting edge facility features four classrooms that can each accommodate 25-30 people, along with a child-friendly classroom. At its core is a central courtyard, ideal for performances and events with a capacity of 150-200 people. The Centre also includes a Yarning Room, an Elders Lounge, boardroom, staff offices, kitchen facilities for students and an on-site cafe.
With the first stage of construction now complete, students from the Academy of Sports, Health and Education (ASHE) began studying at the new facilities in Term 3 this year. The future holds more developments, including upgrades to the RFNC, the creation of a Regional Centre of Sporting Excellence, accommodation, health and wellbeing services, and early childhood education.
Paul Briggs AO, executive director of the Kaiela Institute and deputy chair of Munarra Limited, emphasised the transformative potential of the Munarra Centre. “The Munarra Centre and Rumbalara Football Netball Club are powerful tools of change,” he said. “Together with our partnerships, we are working to move away from operating in crisis mode.”
Briggs noted that the Centre’s vision is crucial in addressing community challenges, including economic empowerment and cultural integrity. “This is the first plan to build an economy while protecting our cultural integrity. It promises life expectancy and equality of outcomes for our young people.”
