Universities Australia Puts in Its 2010/11 Budget Submission. (February 4, 2010)

In its 21-page 2010/11 budget submission to the federal government Universities Australia claims: "Universities Australia research has found that an investment of 0.6% of GDP to fully implement the Bradley Review’s recommendations will generate a long run gain of 6% of GDP. To under-fund or to defer funding means that these and wider benefits will be reduced and delayed, including deficit reduction well beyond the spending required. The package proposed therefore is not a true strain on the Budget. It is a basis for the better future budget sustainability of the nation."

It summarises the funding request:

Universities Australia strongly supports the Government in maintaining all the commitments it made in the May 2009-10 Budget in Transforming Australia’s Higher Education System. A new framework and resourcing for higher education in Australia were defined there.

 
Universities Australia also recommends that this base commitment be supplemented in 2010-11 by bringing forward the phasing of key commitments in indirect cost funding, indexation and equity and partnership funding.

The Education Investment Fund (EIF) infrastructure funding for general university facilities that was deferred in the MYEFO [Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook] should be restored. Equally, the Budget should be supplemented for enhanced provision for teaching and learning, competitive research grants and more EIF funding provided for facilities.

These provisions for an enhanced future for Australia through advanced learning and research add a $881 million augmentation to pre-existing appropriation commitments for 2010-11. This is in addition to the restoration of the deferred $200 million from the EIF, and a further EIF drawdown beyond previous commitments of $250 million.

The pay-off for Australia’s future would be many times this funding allocation. This submission provides very detailed documentation of those benefits for productivity, innovation, skills, exports, workforce participation, deficit reduction and much more.

The 2010-2011 Federal Budget must recognise and support the fact that higher education is central to good economic management. Failure to acknowledge this and fully embed well-attested supportive polices will short-change full economic recovery, the sustainable growth of the Australian economy, and the equally important advancement of Australian society and culture and contribution to environmental sustainability.

In this submission, Universities Australia endorses the Government’s goals, accepts increased accountability and performance obligations, and strongly affirms how universities can contribute significantly to wider economic and social improvements. Universities Australia also believes that resourcing – particularly general resourcing – must provide universities with the capacity to operate at world’s best practice.

Here are graphic representations of UA's argument: