Member for Durack and Minister for the Environment Melissa Price said she is excited that today funding has been announced for the expansion of the Geraldton Universities Centre and the establishment of the Pilbara Universities Centre in the Pilbara.

“The Geraldton Universities Centre has been operating since 2010 as an incorporated body and funding of $1,829,400 has been allocated to expand the centre,” Minister Price said.

“The Pilbara Universities Centre in Karratha and Port Hedland (initially) is new and will be revolutionary for the region and the State; and I’m excited that $3 million in funding has been approved to establish this tertiary education centre.

“I am so excited that both the Mid West and Pilbara will now have nationally recognised and accredited university centres,” Ms Price said.

“I have long been an advocate for preventing the ‘brain drain’ that occurs in regional areas when students leave to study and possibly never return.

“It has always been a priority of mine and I have pushed hard for the Federal Government to support existing and new regional university centres. The approval of the centre in the Pilbara means that students no longer have to leave home to study on campus at a university.

“My vision is to create a ‘Pilbara School of Mines’,” said Ms Price

“The Geraldton Universities Centre was ground-breaking as an education model and I am thrilled this has been recognised and replicated not only in the Pilbara but across Australia,” the Minister said.

The Regional Study Hubs at both Geraldton and Karratha/Port Hedland will provide infrastructure such as study spaces, video conferencing, computing facilities and internet access, as well as academic support for students studying via distance at partner universities.

The Federal Government’s total additional new funding for regional higher education is now $400 million over five years.