The university’s VC wants “to bridge the divide, accelerate the progression of thousands of regional Australians into higher education and create a workforce for the future,” with more places for student places and more money for regional campuses.

He calls for;

# 10,000 Commonwealth funded regional enabling courses, allocated by need and demand

# $50m million a year for four years “to address the chronic underfunding of regional campuses”

# An “improved” funding formula that recognises the higher costs of regional universities.

“This proposal offers a rare opportunity to lower spending on a lifetime of welfare provision, help unemployed regional people into jobs, and create a valued regional workforce capable of building stronger regional communities,” Professor Shoemaker adds.

The proposal is in a submission to the Halsey review of regional education, separate to the Regional Universities Network proposal, which is along the same lines, but less ambitious in its call for cash.