The University of Tasmania’s plans for the old forestry building in Hobart’s CBD has suffered a setback with the school of Law announcing it will not be relocating there. The decision has been welcomes by opponents of the University’s proposed CBD move. But the university says its college of Business and Economics will still transfer into the building.
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00:00The conversion of the old forestry Tasmania building into a hub for University of Tasmania students is well underway,
00:08but the $131 million redevelopment in Hobart's CBD has hit a hurdle.
00:14The university's law school, which had been expected to join the College of Business and Economics at the building,
00:20has ditched the planned move, arguing it already has a dedicated law building at the Sandy Bay campus.
00:27The decision has been welcomed by opponents of the university's plan to move most of its operations to the CBD.
00:33We were obviously pleased for the law faculty that they were able to achieve this
00:38because it's been something that they've been saying for a couple of years.
00:41I think a big part of staying here is the history behind it and the community that exists
00:45and it's kind of like you speak to alumni, they hold such value with the facility being here on this campus.
00:52The university spent $15 million, triple the estimated market value, buying the old forestry building in 2018.
00:59If you only took 10% of that money and invested it in your law students and your staff and your facilities,
01:08you would have a, not top 61 law school in the world, but probably top 25.
01:14Coming soon after the university announced plans to sell two CBD hotels,
01:19the decision has raised questions about the viability of the CBD move.
01:23They don't seem to have a coherent, feasible, workable plan for the future of the university.
01:32The University of Tasmania says it will still go ahead with its plan to move its economics and business faculty
01:38into the old forestry building once its refurbishment is complete.
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