UTS council discusses occupation

By Andy Gianniotis

SYDNEY -- The council of the University of Technology, Sydney, met on April 24 to decide who should pay the costs associated with the Easter occupation by students protesting against education cutbacks and up-front fees.

The total “cost” of the occupation seems to be increasing on a weekly basis. At first $75,000 was estimated, a figure rejected by the students association as “impossible”. The figure now is claimed to stand at $150,500, which includes a cost to the police of $33,500. The likely cost to the community of an increasingly inequitable education system has yet to be mentioned.

Acting vice-chancellor Brian Low has decided not to take legal action against NUS or the UTS Students' Association. The reasons given were that it was “likely to be detrimental to ongoing educational developments at UTS”.

The council also decided not to take disciplinary action against UTS students who were “either organised or took part in the occupation”, but warned that UTS “cannot and will not tolerate any future demonstrations in or occupations of non-public areas of the university”.

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