Point Nepean Research
and Education Field Station
Home of the National Centre for Coasts, Environment and Climate
Project overview
The Point Nepean Research and Education Field Station (PNREFS) will be an interdisciplinary science research and education facility and the home of the National Centre for Coasts, Environment and Climate (NCCEC).
Research at the PNREFS will be focused on coastal environments, climate change, history and culture, the arts, and community engagement.
The field station, to be jointly operated by Monash University and the University of Melbourne, is expected to enhance Victoria’s standing as a hub for climate-related research and education to deliver outcomes of global significance.
Focus areas include research into dune management, coastal erosion and inundation, marine ecosystem preservation, pollution control, biodiversity conservation to provide opportunities to secure threatened flora and fauna, habitat restoration and management of Indigenous and settler heritage sites at risk of sea-level rise.
The project aligns with the aspiration expressed in the Point Nepean Master Plan that the precinct be “a crossroads for specialists and the public to engage with research focused on coastal and terrestrial ecology, Traditional Owner knowledge of Country and environmental and cultural heritage”.
The partnership also reflects the local community’s support for education and research opportunities that encompass Point Nepean’s unique landscape, rich biodiversity and deeply significant Indigenous, defence and maritime history, and is committed to actively engaging with the community throughout all project phases.
Following the partial funding reversal in the federal Budget in late 2022, Monash University and the University of Melbourne have confirmed their intention to provide additional funding to the project.
The Commonwealth Government has contributed $17 million to the project, with Monash University and the University of Melbourne to equally contribute the remaining $10 million to maintain the project's original budget of $27 million.
This investment signals the universities’ commitment to delivering this world-class, interdisciplinary science research and education facility, highlighting the Field Station’s significance not only to the universities, but also to the Point Nepean community.
The universities are now finalising the designs to progress planning approvals and other regulatory processes, with construction anticipated to start in 2025.
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The Universities acknowledge and respect Traditional Owners across Australia as the original custodians of our land and waters, their unique ability to care for country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past, present and emerging whose knowledge and wisdom has, and will, ensure the continuation of cultures and traditional practices.