New University campus underway

WORK has begun on the $300 million development that will see an empty expanse of land in Fairy Meadow transformed into a research hub of international significance.

Bulldozers moved into place at the future site of the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus late last month.

The campus will feature a four-star hotel and university facilities, and is expected to generate up to 5000 knowledge-based jobs.

University representatives joined state and federal politicians on November 24 to signal the start of construction for the first building, iC Central, the campus' business and administration centre.

Due for completion in early 2008, it will provide office and meeting space as well as caf?s, retail space, recreation and health facilities, and function rooms.

The centre is the first of four buildings costing more than $100 million that form stage one of the development.

A joint venture between the university and developer Baulderstone Hornibrook, the Innovation Campus will include more than 20 major buildings to be built over 10 to 15 years.

Campus director David Fuller said it was exciting to see work on the project finally get underway.

"We've gone through probably four to five years of planning and approval processes to get to this point," he said.

Mr Fuller said the campus would build and focus on the university's strengths, such as information technology, media, health, intelligence and security, and finance.

He said it would provide opportunities for leading and aspiring researchers.

"Silicon Valley has shown that when you get a cluster of innovative people together, they tend to bounce off one another and collaborate and that's the atmosphere we are trying to create," Mr Fuller said.

Local businesses will also have increased chances to engage with the university, according to the campus director.

Commercial agreements are already being negotiated and signed and a total of 12 companies are expected to move to the 33ha site at Fairy Meadow.

Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell said the Innovation Campus was one of the most significant employment generators for the region.

The NSW Government has injected $24 million into the project, while a Global Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention will be built with $12 million in Federal Government funding.