The University of Queensland (UQ) Mater Clinical School will be the catalyst for growth in the health sector and help put Redlands on the health map, predicts Mayor Karen Williams.
Cr Williams said the new Redlands UQ Mater Clinical School in Cleveland, officially opened this week, was the first university facility in Redland City with local premises.
“Its establishment is a huge vote of confidence in the city by the University of Queensland and Mater Health Services,” she said.
“It has been established to help train locals locally, for the local health sector.
“Improving Redlanders’ access to health services, tertiary education and jobs are priorities for our Council and I am delighted to see us take a major step towards this goal with the opening of the Clinical School.
“The facility will be a catalyst for further investment in health. Hopefully we can duplicate it many times over.”
Division 2 Councillor Craig Ogilvie also welcomed the School.
“Redland City Council was happy to play a role in clearing the way for this development to happen,” he said.
“To generate this outcome we needed flexibility in our development application processes, and we were able to deliver that in an outstanding achievement for the DA team.”
Cr Williams said UQ and Mater Health Services were taking the school to where it was needed.
“This is an innovative development that shows clearly that not all teaching needs to take place in inner-city universities. It is great to see this being brought to where the people who will be our nurses and midwives of the future live,” she said.
“The School will play a key role in helping meet the future demand for highly-trained medical professionals. It will open with its first intake of 24 nursing and midwifery students next week and will grow over four years to cater for 84 students. This means 84 meals and 84 coffees – you can see the positive impact it will have on the local economy.
“The Redlands is perfectly placed to become a health hub. We have a beautiful natural environment that lends itself to healing and education and Council will actively pursue further investment in these areas.
“I thank UQ and the Mater for their ongoing relationship with our city. They have taken the plunge, and I commend them for that. We are happy to continue to work with them.”
