TAFE bureaucrats threaten library

BY NINA KEMPSTER

Sydney TAFE’s corporate branch has plans to takeover a third of the TAFE’s Ultimo library space, causing uproar in the student community. The plans come as a shock to staff and students who received no consultation from the TAFE.

Students are particularly upset over the plans after being hit with fee increases early this year.

The plans involve relocating the library’s second floor collection to the ground floor by March 2017; the TAFE’s corporate offices would then take over the second floor space.

The plans have been seen as a reaction to the NSW treasury’s cuts of $250 million from the vocational educator in April 2015, referring to the money as “excess cash”.

Public Service Union representative Nathan Bradshaw told City Hub about the planned reallocation.

“They told us they were going to start making way for the offices in the next couple of weeks, and there will be significant loss of student space and facilities. But the student information day was timed a day after term ended, on 24 November, so most of the students wouldn’t be there,” he said.

The union members worked with students to help them lodge formal complaints. The students then took over themselves creating a Save the Ultimo Library petition. So far it has garnered over 550 signatures. Students have also organised on-campus protests attracting up to 100 people despite the information being released after the end of term.

Library staff member Leon Parissi spoke to City Hub about the disapproval the proposal has had from students.

“We were told that we would have to relocate, that this space would instead be used for the corporate offices of TAFE NSW. But now they keep saying it was only ever proposed, that it was never a firm plan. Students are reacting to their fees being hiked up and the lack of consultation, which was minimal towards both staff and students. I don’t think they expected students to react as they did,” she said.

The library is currently used by 28,000 staff and students making it the biggest library on campus.

Leanne Porter is one of the concerned students and uses the library several times a week. She aired her grievance on the petition’s website.

“Our fees go towards paying for this library and we need to be able to access the books, computers and study areas. The corporate staff already have their own space in another building. Why do they want to take the little space we have, and that we pay for? This proposal just seems to be totally selfish and anti-student,” she said.

Mr Bradshaw believes the actions of the students have delayed the proposal thus far.

“As it stands now, they’ve admitted that there wasn’t enough consultation, they’ve called it off, and they’re going to start consultation next term in March 2017. But without the students reacting as they did, they would have been moving the facilities around already. TAFE is being forced to compete with private institutions that don’t provide the student facilities that TAFE does,” he said

The NSW State Government’s Smart and Skilled reform is also being blamed for placing increasing pressure on TAFE to become commercialised due to a lack of government funding.

The education and trading provider has seen significant drops in enrolment since 2012. A Save Ultimo TAFE Library spokesperson told City Hub that, “while we are grateful that TAFE Corporate management has responded to our campaign by postponing their decision until next year, the student campaign to save our library is prepared to continue if TAFE makes the wrong decision following the promised student consultation next term.”