The recent cuts to Southern Cross University (SCU)’s undergraduate programs in art and design, contemporary music, and digital media, from 2025 have prompted north coast councils to call on the university to reconsider, given the importance of the sector to the Northern Rivers.
Byron Shire Council was the latest to join Ballina, Lismore and Tweed councils in asking the uni to reconsider.
Tweed Council mayor, Chris Cherry, wrote in her recent mayoral minute, ‘If all Northern Rivers councils unite to try to save the arts courses in regional NSW, we are more likely to be successful’.
At their meeting on Thursday, Byron Shire councillors voted unanimously for a motion that read in part, ‘Council will write to ‘relevant federal ministers urging them to restore equity to the cost of arts degrees to ensure that young people can pursue in a career in music and the creative arts without undue financial burden; and write to relevant state ministers to take urgent action to increase funding and other support for regional arts and music events, noting the negative impact that the cancellation of large music events such as Bluesfest and Splendour in the Grass will have on Byron Shire’s local economy’.
At the Ballina Council meeting of November 28, Cr Kiri Dicker was successful with a similar, unanimous motion that, ‘calls on Southern Cross University to reconsider its recent decision to discontinue its undergraduate programs in art and design, contemporary music and digital media from 2025’.
Lismore councillors defeated a motion to write to ministers, but instead decided to write to SCU asking why the courses were scrapped.
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