Charles Sturt University (CSU) today released a report by the Western Research Institute into the economic impact of the establishment of the new School of Dentistry and Oral Health in inland NSW.

 

CSU received $65.1 million from the Commonwealth Government for the construction and equipping of a new dental school to be based in Orange and Wagga Wagga, with Dental Education Clinics in Bathurst, Albury-Wodonga and Dubbo.  When fully operational, the program will accommodate 240 students in dental science and oral health. The program will commence in 2009.

 

The report found that the new School of Dentistry and Oral Health will create 906 new jobs during the construction phase, contributing more than $52.6 million in gross regional product and $24.7 million in household income when flow-on effects are taken into account.

 

The fully operational suite of dentistry and oral health facilities working across the region will create an additional 227 full-time equivalent jobs, with an annual contribution of $12.3 million in gross regional product and $8.27 million in household income.

 

“CSU’s primary role is to provide educational opportunities for students in inland communities, and to conduct applied research of relevance to our inland communities,” said CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter.  “But we also live and work in our communities and the combined spending of the University, its staff and students is a major contributor to economic growth.

 

“These figures reinforce the importance of CSU to the economic development of our inland communities,” Professor Goulter said.

 

In a 2005 report on the economic impact of CSU in its local inland communities, it was found that CSU generated more than $260 million in annual gross regional product, $164 million in household income and over 3,100 full-time equivalent jobs when flow-on effects are taken into account. The impact of the new dental program will be incorporated into new calculations to be undertaken with the release of the second edition of the report in 2008.

 

“To put this into perspective,” said Professor Goulter, “CSU and international and non-local students attending the university generate the equivalent of 12 per cent of Bathurst’s employment in the Central West statistical division and the equivalent of 9 per cent of Wagga Wagga’s employment in the Murrumbidgee statistical division.

 

“Added to this, our statistics show that more than 70 per cent of health graduates who originally came from a rural or remote area return to practise in rural areas. 

 

“Equally important, a significant number of health students who study with CSU in inland NSW stay on after graduation to practise in inland communities. 

 

“CSU is not only helping to retain skilled rural professionals in inland NSW, but is also helping to reverse the migration of rural people to our cities.”