• Buildings to be demolished to make way for Joint Program in Medicine’s Academic and Research Hub at Charles Sturt in Orange
• Construction phase to take 12 months ahead of first students starting course in 2021
• Medical school partnership with Western Sydney University to ensure high-quality healthcare in regional and rural areas

Demolition work is under way on what will become the central site of Charles Sturt University’s (Charles Sturt) and Western Sydney University’s long-awaited Joint Program in Medicine (JPM).

Crews fenced off the site at Charles Sturt in Orange on Monday, and are scheduled to spend four weeks knocking down existing buildings and preparing the area for construction of the medical school’s Academic and Research Hub.

Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said the demolition work marked another milestone as the University moved closer to accepting the first cohort of students for an undergraduate medical degree in 2021.

“This work is a significant moment in our progression, made in partnership with Western Sydney University, towards opening the doors of the medical school,” Professor Vann said.

“It’s also another step towards rural and regional Australians being given access to high-quality healthcare, just as city-based Australians enjoy.

“The Academic and Research Hub, along with the upgrades to other buildings and facilities at Charles Sturt in Orange, will ensure we are ideally placed to deliver the highly-skilled medical professionals our regions need and deserve.”

Four buildings will be demolished to accommodate the Academic and Research Hub, which will house JPM learning spaces and staff, as well as an Indigenous Student Centre, a floor dedicated to health research, and meeting rooms.

Construction of the building is scheduled to begin in October, and JPM project manager Mr Glenn McMahon said it was anticipated it would take approximately 12 months to complete.

“It is likely to be ready for occupation by November 2020, which would allow plenty of time for staff to establish themselves in the facility before students commence in February 2021,” Mr McMahon said.

Later in the year there will be further work undertaken to upgrade the Orange campus’s Experiential Learning Centre and School of Dentistry and Health Sciences buildings, both of which will house additional JPM-used spaces.

These will include student learning spaces, an expansion of anatomy facilities, and an ultrasound room.

A new Clinical Education Learning Centre will also be developed at the Orange hospital precinct.