National Tertiary Education Union
CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY BRANCH
A: 50-52 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650.
M: 04 1236 3718. F: 6931 7738. E: rayg@nsw.nteu.org.au
MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 17 July 2008: For immediate release
Our regional universities matter: NTEU president
Regional universities, including Charles Sturt University (CSU), are vital for the future of inland Australia, said
the president of the CSU Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), Dr Len Palmer.
“Universities such as Charles Sturt University are vital for providing quality higher education for our regions.
It has been shown that prospective students who grow up and are educated in inland Australia are more
likely to stay in inland Australia after they receive their degrees. Our future teachers, nurses, wine makers,
physiotherapists, business managers, journalists, park rangers and scientists are all educated at CSU so
they are ready for careers in regional Australia,” Dr Palmer said.
“These students deserve a well-funded, quality education as much as their metropolitan counterparts, and
the same quality of staff to help them reach comparable levels of education. We join the call on the federal
and State governments to provide sufficient funding for quality education.
“CSU staff also live and work across regional New South Wales and add to the economic, social and cultural
wellbeing of our communities in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Goulburn and Wagga Wagga.”
The NTEU is now entering into a new phase of bargaining with the current enterprise agreement at CSU is
due to expire on 30 September 2008.
"We seek to re-new the pay and working conditions of CSU staff in the post-Work Choices era to attract and
retain quality teaching, research and support staff for students in our regional communities, and for our
distance education education students around Australia and the world,” Dr Palmer said.
"NTEU members are seeking to break new ground by gaining and improving work conditions that are family
friendly, improve work/life balance and create a more environmentally sustainable workplace.
The NTEU has presented a log of claims to the management of CSU outlining areas that the union will
discuss with the University in developing the next enterprise agreement for all CSU staff. Dr Palmer noted
that the pay rise of 11.25 per cent up to December 2009 that the NTEU was seeking, was important in
keeping quality staff at the University, and provided well paid and interesting jobs in regional communities.
The NTEU is still waiting for CSU management to formally acknowledge and respond to of the NTEU’s log of
claims.
"By improving the CSU workplace, our claims aim to build a better university, increase investment, attract
and retain quality staff, offer quality courses, extend our research profile and offer quality jobs to regional
communities," Dr Palmer said.
ends
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Further Information:
Dr. Len Palmer, NTEU CSU Branch President, Charles Sturt University (Bathurst Campus),
tel.(02) 6338 4532, mob 0412 216 968, email lpalmer@csu.edu.au.
Note executive members of the NTEU’s CSU Branch are also available for interviews on CSU’s Albury-
Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Goulburn and Wagga Wagga campus.
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