Budget 2009

Dear Colleagues,

Last night’s Federal Budget is a leap forward for higher education and research in Australia, with $5.6 billion committed.

It is especially pleasing that better indexation has been delivered, albeit being stepped in for full implementation in calendar year 2012.

While in the past we have received funding for particular projects or buildings, and that was very welcome too, better indexation funding, when it comes, will go straight to the bottom line. It is funding that we can apply to teaching and learning and to assist to cover the gap in increases in staff costs. More funding for universities to support low SES students is also an excellent measure, one that had been supported by us and by IRU Australia.

Students have done well with better funding ro support their studies, although this is accompanied by some tighter controls on eligibility. As part of the access and equity measures, there are additional funds to help students relocate and student start up scholarships.

The regional loadings to those universities that receive them, we do, will be examined, in accordance with Bradley’s recommendation, with a view to ensuring that the extra cost of operating in regional locations is understood and acknowledged.

Over the whole of Government, the boost in research funding of in excess of $8 billion represents the largest increase in funding to research, science and innovation since records began in the late 1970s. Moving towards full cost funding for research is just what is needed.

The only sobering note on the night for JCU was that our two EIF bids were unsuccessful. We had sought support for a new School of Education on the Douglas campus and for the Cairns Institute. We will receive official feedback on our bids and will need to see what we can learn with a view to putting in refreshed bids to EIF round 3 later this year. It seems that the fact we were looking for funding for items that did not involve collaborative partners and external funds committed may have been important. We will get the facts and look to do better next time.

There is a lot of coverage today about the good news – my blog post included. The devil is always in the detail, however, and it will be interesting to see what more we learn as the detail emerges.

Cheers,
Sandra