Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee has chosen the wrong location for the Bega TAFE construction project.
The Minister was recently in Bega on 8 November at the TAFE Connected Learning Centre (CLC) to announce the start of the $17 million construction of stage two of the project, the new trades hub.
In 2018, the Bega community organised meetings demanding a guarantee from the Berejiklian Government that the TAFE college would not be sold.
The community demanded, and continues to demand, that the Bega campus in Barrack Street remains open and practical trades and vocational education is available to all students.
This campaign has influenced the Minister to now announce this further investment in Bega, but he has chosen the wrong location for the investment.
Federation members welcome investment into capital infrastructure in the local community, but unfortunately the Minister has not had meaningful consultation with local TAFE teachers about the best way to invest this capital expenditure.
The $17 million must be invested in the Barrack Street campus to create a trade workshop without losing the current commercial cookery kitchens and restaurant, the welding and metal fabrication workshop, library, adult basic education study centre, plus community service, business, information technology and nursing faculties.
Federation will continue to work with local TAFE and school members and community members to stop the sale of Barrack Street campus.