New college is much needed

HISTORY is being made in the Far North with the first Catholic school to be built on a university campus in Australia going ahead.

The Palaszczuk government has committed $15m for the first stage of the $30m Newman Catholic College at the James Cook University Smithfield campus.

The college is desperately needed on the northern beaches, which has only Smithfield State High School.

Already, expressions of interest for Year 7 places suggest the college will easily achieve total enrolments of 750-800 students when fully completed in 2027.

It lays the pathway for students to transition to tertiary education after finishing high school.

They also will get a taste of university life and no doubt will be involved with many higher learning activities on the campus.

The collaboration between the university and Catholic Education also lends weight to the campaign for a $165m Cairns University Hospital, which also is heavily aligned to JCU.

It is another example of organisations working together for the betterment of the Far North.

The college’s $15m funding means it can now go to tender and start a nationwide search for a foundation principal.

It is expected construction will start late this year for completion late next year.

The college will initially open with a Year 7 cohort in 2022 and add a new year level every following year through to Year 12.

It is a timely vote of confidence in the economy during the pandemic. Nick Dalton

Deputy editor