New CQUniversity Cairns campus ready to take Cairns to top of its game

CQUniversity Cairns isn’t just a place to kick-start careers - I am determined to to see the new  $15 million CBD campus expand to become a hub that will grow the region’s economy, and set development priorities for the rest of regional Australia.

Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey AC, State Treasurer Curtis Pitt, Cairns Regional Council Mayor Bob Manning, and Member for Cairns Mr Rob Pyne joined us to formally open the new campus at CQUniversity Cairns Square on Wednesday, October 21. The event officially completes the transition to a two-university city, just three years after the University first opened a smaller study centre in the community. 

Within five years the new campus is expected to have attracted 2500 local and international students, employed over 60 academics and professional staff, be producing more than 700 skilled graduates annually, and have generated an economic spin-off worth a huge $224 million.

Our expansion into Cairns demonstrates our national reputation for supporting our students to achieve, no matter how they choose to study. 

Many of our regional students, and also our international students, tell us they want to study in regional centres, and we believe that Cairns will deliver them a great experience not only for study, but also for lifestyle.

The campus, is already supporting more than 600 distance education students and is also currently taking enrolments for face-to-face and distance study in 2016, with program options including Engineering, Education, Business and Accounting, IT, Nursing, Paramedic Science, Professional Communication, Public Health and Tourism. 

There are also large teaching spaces for class and residential schools, computer and videoconferencing labs, Paramedic Science, Nursing and Engineering labs, a library, staff offices, study spaces and a welcoming reception area. It is also home to CQUniversity’s new Centre for Tourism and Regional Opportunity (C-TARO), with a vision to lead and revitalise Northern Australian tourism. 

I'd really like to thank the Cairns community and local business for getting behind the University and making it possible for us to establish a CQUniversity campus in the region. CQUniversity is looking forward to making a really positive impact on the region by improving access to higher education and creating new jobs and opportunities. 

Some key stats:

• 2500 - Expected student numbers within five years, including;
• 500 – number of international students within five years
• $43,843 – the average expenditure value of each international student to economy
• $15 million – anticipated non-salary campus investment by CQUniversity over five years
• 60 – expected number of campus staff to be employed within five years
• $7.6 million – estimated annual local staff salary expenditure within five years
• $1 million – investment by Queensland Government in campus engineering labs
• 714 – number of graduates locally produced each year by 2020 
• $224 million – estimated total economic spin-off impact on Cairns economy by 2020 

Unveiling the plaque at the official opening