On Monday, Member for Bega Andrew Constance and Assistant Minister for Skills Adam Marshall announced a new $17million TAFE campus would be built next the $8million connected learning centre (CLC that was under construction.

Mr Constance said it was not an election promise as the cheque was already signed and the campus would offer a “specialist training centre”, meaning practical skills and apprenticeships could all be done without having to travel outside the Bega region.

But as part of these plans, the current campus on Barrack St in Bega will close about mid-2021. 

When NSW Teachers Federation organiser Rob Long heard the announcement he was “shocked”, describing it as “a pretty rough plan with no significant detail”. 

“It’s definitely concerning for teachers. There’s a lot of uncertainty in TAFE at the moment,” he said. 

Mr Long said he had talked to many staff members at Bega TAFE and none had been consulted over the new campus.

No teacher from Bega High School had ever raised the distance between the school and the Barrack St campus as a problem, he said, so there was no need to construct the new campus closer to the school. 

Mr Long said there were good facilities at the current campus such as the one for welding, the foundation studies area and a “fantastic” restaurant, so there was no need to relocate to a newer building and he believed the new campus could have been incorporated into the existing campus at Barrack St. 

“I’m not sure why you’d get rid of a whole TAFE college just for a couple of buildings,” he said. 

“I thought it’s great they’re spending $25million on TAFE in Bega. We just don’t understand why you have to close the existing college to get a smaller TAFE college. 

“If the college didn’t have the space and there was a huge demand then maybe, but the college definitely has enough space. You could fit [the CLC and the $17million building] at the existing college.” 

After looking at the plans for the new campus, Mr Long said he was concerned it did not appear there was any rooms allocated for a library and while there was a space labelled “admin/staff” it was unclear if this was also offices for the teachers. 

Mr Constance and Mr Marshall said the new $17million facility to be built adjoining the CLC (where the old red-brick community health building currently sits) will allow the introduction of new courses. 

But at Wetherill Park’s TAFE, Mr Long said, a heavy vehicle automotive mechanics workshop had recently been built for about $11million, while four years ago a new welding workshop had been built at the vocational education provider’s Wollongong premises for around $12million. 

“We can’t see how, for $17million, you’re going to fit out electricians, plumbers and carpenters,” he said.