Following hot on the heels of the news that the numbers of international students studying in Australia is falling, is the news that the government has restored A$200 million of infrastructure funding to universities from the Education Investment Fund, says The Australian.

It was November last year when the government cut its A$550 million funding to just A$350 million after it “recalibrated” its spending due to financial concerns amid the global crisis. Government spokesperson Julia Gillard said the funding had been restored because of the “high quality of applications”.

The renewed funding has come just at the right time for many university vice chancellors who were beginning to worry how they were going to meet the shortfall. Although the government has decided to make the announcements on a state-by-state basis, possibly in order to maximise election capital. Yesterday, the government announced the beneficiaries of Western Australia’s A$105.5 million funding allocation, during a visit by prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Glen Withers, chief executive of Universities Australia welcomed the move to restore the funding. He said: “Universities were becoming quite concerned at delays in specific funding announcements, and at reductions in the available quantum for infrastructure funding through the EIF.”

He added: “The pay-off from higher education for skills and innovation for sustainable economic growth will be advanced by these decisions.” Also saying that this “eliminated concerns” about infrastructure.

Projects benefiting from the restored investment include the University of Western Australia’s Ocean Marine Research Centre, Pilbara TAFE and Central TAFE in Perth.