Adding another string to the Monash bow are, from left, Monash chancellor Jeremy Ellis, Minister for Planning Rob Hulls, associate dean of academic programs for the faculty of arts, Associate Professor Heinz Kreutz, Professor Homer Le Grande, dean of the faculty of arts, Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato, and Berwick campus academic director Professor Phillip Steele.PLANNING Minister Rob Hulls yesterday launched the new Bachelor of Regional and Urban Planning course at Monash University’s Berwick campus.
Mr Hulls said the new degree would have places for about 30 students in its first year and address a significant shortage of suitably qualified planners throughout Australia.
Associate Professor Heinz Kreutz, the associate dean of academic programs for the faculty of arts, said Monash was delighted to add the new course to its curriculum. Graduates could expect to find careers in state and local government planning and policy areas, academia and research institutes, private planning consultancies and in specialist consultancies with allied fields such as architecture, engineering, and surveying, he said.
Mr Hulls said many people did not realise the significance of planning.
“It is about nurturing communities and providing a sense of belonging,” he said.
It was well recognised that the state had a serious shortage of planners, Mr Hulls said.
“This course will provide a longterm solution to a legitimate concern,” he said.
Prof Kreutz said it was particularly appropriate that the course was offered at the Berwick campus because it had a strong focus on communitybuilding, and was opened nearly a decade ago to service Victoria’s largest growth corridor.
