Building B formally opened by Queensland Governor

The Queensland Governor, Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC, formally opened Building B at Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast campus today (Monday, June 3).

Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Lee FTSE said the event was a significant milestone in the University’s plans to create a cutting-edge learning environment for students of the southern Gold Coast and Tweed Heads.

“Students need flexible spaces for collaborative learning. Building B at the Gold Coast is a vertical campus – it features state-of-the art laboratories and contemporary learning spaces in which to deliver inspiring educational experiences,” Professor Lee said.

“With the completion of the second stage of our Gold Coast campus, we progress our vision to build a learning community for the future.”

Building B, which opened to students for the first session in February, is a 10-storey facility housing specialised teaching and research spaces. It complements the original building at the campus which opened in 2010. Funding for a third building, which has been received from the federal government, will take the investment at the campus to about $100 million.

Southern Cross University Chancellor The Hon John Dowd AO QC said the expanding campus would add scholarship to the sun, sand and surf lifestyle of the southern Gold Coast.

“We are particularly pleased that Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC has honoured us by opening this building. The Governor of Queensland has followed SCU’s progress since the opening of our first building here at the southern Gold Coast in 2010,” he said.

The formal opening of Building B continues the growth of Southern Cross University, which has doubled its intake of students from the Gold Coast region since 2008.

“We started from very modest beginnings, in fact a study centre at Coolangatta 19 years ago,” the Chancellor said.

“There is a pressing need for higher education on the Gold Coast. About one in five people here aged between 25 and 34 possess a Bachelor degree or above. That’s around half the national average.

“We are also making a major economic contribution to the region through our presence here. A study earlier this year* calculated that in the combined local government areas of the Gold Coast and Tweed, Southern Cross University had contributed nearly $60 million in gross regional product – this will only continue to grow as we expand our operations.”

With a total floor area of 15,417m2 the new building includes cutting edge clinical laboratories for nursing and midwifery, laboratories for occupational therapy students and physiology, anatomy and biomechanics laboratories for pedorthics, podiatry and speech pathology. The building also provides learning spaces to pursue scholarship in tourism, business, arts and social sciences, and education. Student facilities include computer rooms, meeting rooms and a student lounge.

It also includes SCU Health Clinic, located on the ground floor. This is open to the public and will offer a range of health practitioner services, as well as supporting student learning and clinical research.

* Southern Cross University: Economic Impact of the Universities in the Regional Universities Network is available at:

Photo: Queensland Governor Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC, formally opens Building B at Southern Cross University's Gold Coast campus with the University's Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Lee FTSE, left, and Chancellor The Hon John Dowd AO QC.