University of Wollongong Liberal Club

MEDIA RELEASE

University of Wollongong LIBERAL CLUB

Representative Report

Friday, 12 May 2006:

UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG LIB ERAL CLUB President Brad Winton has expressed his amazement and incredibility at the split that has been developing between clubs and societies at University of Wollongong which for the past 10 years has been a jointly run by UniCentre, the student union and WUSA, the student association.

Over the years both groups have contributed roughly equal resources into the running and support of clubs and societies including a pool of funding that was distributed to clubs based on club activity and membership. This pool of money was managed and distributed directly for the benefit of students by a committee made up entirely of students with representatives of both WUSA and UniCentre present.

"It is absolutely irresponsible of WUSA in my mind that the are taking advantage of student's uncertainty over VSU by making a play for more power and influence at the expense of the students they are meant to be representing," he commented.

"Clubs and societies are one of the main ways in which the campus community get involved in campus life and it is vitally important that there exists a stable and supporting framework for clubs to survive and flourish." Mr Winton stated.

In a move that exemplifies WUSA's standard operating procedure, the first UniCentre was informed of the split was when they were told the result of a vote at WUSA's AGM that withdrew support for the clubs and societies partnership model.

"The AGM WUSA held is not worth its weight in peanuts, the meeting was stacked and discussion was withheld" Winton stated

"These people would have a hard time running a raffle, clubs is already proving too hard for them as not a single cent has been released to clubs yet."

In later discussions WUSA proposed a compromise whereby WUSA would retain complete control of funding while UniCentre continued to fund the services and provide all the facilities that they had previously. The UniCentre did not believe that it was in clubs interests to allow that, possibly because WUSA had no guidelines or regulations in regards to release of funds.

"WUSA controlling clubs funding would lead to left wing clubs such as the greens and resistance getting all the money and all other clubs would suffer, the chance of a religious club gaining any funding would be comical" Winton commented

"UniCentre subsequently made the decision that they held a responsibility to students to continue to facilitate a procedures based program that continued to offer a supporting environment to clubs devoid of student politics and plans are already underway to seek more funding from the UniCentre Board, as well as source a sponsor to support Club activities throughout the second semester and into the future. The correct decision in my opinion and one that offers the best outcome to club and societies," Mr Winton concluded.