The full medical program and allied health courses have always been at the core of a collaborative project which secured $20 million in federal funding through the then Education Investment Fund.

An award winning building, named the Port Macquarie Shared Health Research and Education Campus (SHREC), is complete at Highfields Circuit.

The partnership involves the UNSW, University of Newcastle and North Coast Institute of TAFE.

Mayor Peter Besseling, in a letter last week, sought UNSW president and Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs' support to reconvene a steering committee, with representation from its original members, to consider and confirm future courses at the campus.

"It has come to my attention that consideration is being given to changes in the courses being offered at the campus, without any reference back to, or participation by, the steering committee," the letter said.

Neil Black, who was a community representative on the steering committee, supports the mayor's call to reconvene the group.

"I believe it's imperative the steering committee is reconvened so any misunderstanding may be addressed," Mr Black said.

The steering committee decided priority would be given to new courses including the full medical program and other allied programs.

The University of Newcastle in 2014 decided not to go ahead with occupational therapy and radiation therapy at the campus but offer with a new midwifery degree and to move the Bachelor of Nursing program from the Port Macquarie TAFE campus to the new facility.

The steering committee decided priority would be given to new courses including the full medical program and other allied programs including midwifery.

The Port News posed several questions to the UNSW Sydney media office including whether the university was going to offer the full medical degree here, confirmation of the broader course offering at SHREC and the university's response to Cr Besseling's letter.

A university spokesperson, in response, said the parties were in active discussions around these issues and it would be premature to comment publicly on the outcome of those discussions.

"That said, the parties are conscious of time frames for decision-making by all relevant stakeholders and are focusing on resolution of the issues as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

UNSW Port Macquarie Rural Clinical School head of campus Associate Professor Sandy McColl said it has certainly been a dream and a vision at the rural clinical school in Port Macquarie to create the first undergraduate medical program in regional Australia, and they are still hoping and working towards that.

UNSW Port Macquarie medical graduates have a track record of academic excellence.

THE University of Newcastle (UON) will work with the University of NSW to respond to issues raised by the mayor.

A spokesperson said UON remained committed to delivering outstanding health education to students across the Mid-North Coast, including in Port Macquarie.

"We will work with the University of New South Wales - the managing partner of the SHREC - to respond to the issues raised by the mayor.

"The three partners in the SHREC will continue to work together to establish an appropriate timescale for the introduction of programs to the SHREC, and to offer a mix of programs that reflects student demand in the region."

The spokesperson said these would include the Bachelor of Nursing program, which was included in the original Education Investment Fund proposal and continued to attract outstanding students from across the Mid-North Coast region, as well as its Bachelor of Midwifery program newly introduced to leverage the SHREC facilities.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson said the University of Newcastle re-evaluated in detail the possibility of offering additional new programs in the SHREC based on local student demand, employment outcomes and other factors.

"Extensive analysis of local student demand and enrolment patterns demonstrated that our allied health programs such as occupational therapy and radiation therapy were unlikely to be sustainable, in the immediate future, for delivery in Port Macquarie," the spokesperson said.

"UON provided this advice to the SHREC steering committee in 2014."

It is understood the steering committee rejected the advice about the new allied health programs and decided if the University of Newcastle was not in a position to offer allied health programs, another institution would be approached.

Discussions then started with Charles Sturt University.

The steering committee supported the University of Newcastle midwifery program and only the first year nursing students, who shared common courses with the midwifery program, to study from SHREC. The steering committee considered moving the full nursing program to the campus would pose problems with parking, capacity and hours of operation, and constrain the development of new programs.

The development consent imposes constraints around car parking and hours of operation.

Meanwhile, North Coast Institute of TAFE, a partner in SHREC, has started teaching at the centre.

The Port News contacted North Coast Institute of TAFE for comment.

THE steering committee's course determination was in line with what the community sought and expected to happen, Neil Black said.

Priority remained with new health-related courses and the full medical degree.

The former community representative on the steering committee said he understood there had been a change of senior personnel in relevant positions, particularly in the UNSW.

"If there is any substance to the rumours there's a proposal to change the programs, I can only assume there has been a misunderstanding by these people of what the steering committee previously agreed," he said.

Mayor Peter Besseling said the steering committee was charged with choosing the courses and up until the decision to hand it over for implementation, there was a clear and positive direction.

"It seems to have derailed somewhere post handover to the operational group," he said.

"It's extremely important that we get it back on track for the broader community benefit. I have grave concerns that our community will be short changed and our future generations will be short changed through a short sightedness, and the public will be short changed because of a $20 million facility that delivers nothing other than what we already have."

The council was a member organisation of the steering committee and the original sponsor of a feasibility study that supported the successful federal funding bid.

CHARLES Sturt University (CSU) is amid constructive and optimistic discussions with the University of NSW about using the new Highfields Circuit campus for two allied health programs.

Physiotherapy and exercise science will be added to CSU's course offerings next year, subject to accreditation.

CSU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Toni Downes said it would be ideal if there was able to be a strong collaboration and use of the SHREC facilities to support the university bringing these new programs but the new programs did not rely on that.

"As always, collaboration and joint use of facilities, sharing of resources and cooperation around the delivery of expensive programs is ideal," Professor Downes said. "We are currently in negotiations with UNSW and are optimistic that in some form or another we will collaborate with them and use the SHREC space for the delivery of some or all aspects of our physiotherapy and exercise science programs, but with the opening of the Lake Innes campus and other arrangements we can make, we will go ahead."

The university's commitment to bring allied health programs to Port Macquarie is independent of any relationship it might have from time to time with various locations and organisations.

Charles Sturt University is an interested party but not one of the partners in SHREC.