SOUTH WEST TAFE will purchase and redevelop its leased campus site in Hamilton in a multi-million-dollar project that will consolidate and expand its role in the region.

The purchase and refurbishment of the 7.2-hectare property located at 200 Ballarat Road is expected to cost around $4 million and will open opportunities for expanded course offerings and on-site partnerships.

South West TAFE has been delivering training and other services from the site (via lease from RMIT) since 2016 when it relocated from its Hammond Street campus.

South West TAFE chief executive, Mark Fidge, said the announcement was exciting news for training in the Southern Grampians region and would create an excellent student experience.

“This gives the community certainty of having courses run out of a permanent home,” he said. 

“It means the site will be upgraded to better meet the needs of current courses, with the potential to introduce new programs and develop new community and industry partnerships.”

Mr Fidge said the buildings needed a significant financial investment and would be modernised to create a major community asset.

“It provides us with an exciting future for our program delivery and for meeting the needs of local employers and industry partners,” he said.

The revamp will start immediately, with $100,000 being spent on creating a new state-of-the-art nursing training space that will be ready for use in early 2023.

South West TAFE is also seeking government grants to upgrade its early childhood training facilities and individual support programs.

Another key priority is likely to be establishing an Industry Skills Training Centre, as industry programs will be eventually migrated from Hammond Street.

This will ensure courses such as forklift, elevated work platforms, traffic management, construction induction card, and working safely at heights will continue.

The revamp will be partly funded by the expected sale of the Hammond Street site in 2024.

Mr Fidge said a major feature of the Ballarat Road campus was its capacity to include future community and industry collaborations and partnerships.

“There are some exciting possibilities and spaces that can be utilised by many organisations,” he said. 

“We will be keen to talk to community, education, business, and industry groups to look at ways they might use the campus.”

Initial ideas include converting the former animal mortuary into a digital study hub or business centre, with other opportunities existing for public-private-partnerships using other spaces and grounds.

The campus delivers accredited courses in nursing, Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), early childhood, individual support, wool classing, disability, community services, education support, and training and assessment.

It also supports a number of other courses such as agriculture, horticulture, and meat processing via workplace-based learning.

Following the purchase, South West TAFE expects to offer a wider range food and fibre courses for the Hamilton region.

South West TAFE is also keen to work with local secondary schools to offer VET courses and TAFE trade “taster” programs.

Mr Fidge said that while redeveloping the facilities was the first priority, South West TAFE wanted to consult the community and industry about other potential options for the site.

“We will be looking at additional programs and inviting like-minded organisations to work with us,” he said.

“It comes with a large parcel of land that opens opportunity for further development specific to the training needs of the region.”

South West TAFE board chair, Steve Waterhouse, said the purchase would solidify the organisation’s position as an important education provider.

“(It is) a unique opportunity to strategically place South West TAFE at the forefront of post-secondary education and training in the Hamilton district for the next 25 years,” he said. 

“It’s a really exciting outcome that confirms our long-term commitment to the region, its people and its industries.”