The turnout of more than 800 people to Friday night’s Save Our Uni rally sent a clear and loud message that south-west Victorians want a university campus retained in Warrnambool.

The united front came just a week after Deakin University revealed it was looking for a rival provider to take over the campus because of declining enrolments.

By Warrnambool’s generally apathetic standards, it was a stunning show of support.

The passion from former student Bernadette Northeast and current student Zoe Dyer underlined the depth of feeling.

A unanimous show of hands from those packed into the Lighthouse Theatre for a community group to be formed to work alongside Deakin to find a solution was a positive step. But finding a new provider to take over the courses at the campus is just one of several big issues facing campaigners.

Professor den Hollander used the rally to outline the dramatic and worrying decline in student numbers.

Despite injecting $5 million into the campus’ flagship marine science courses, enrolments have dropped from 169 in 2011 to 127 this year.

A third year of the law degree was added but numbers in it have also slumped.

She said a federal decision to remove a cap on students attending campuses was having a considerable impact, making it harder for Warrnambool to survive.

But the extent of the problems go further. The number of young people seeking a year 12 qualification in the region is among the worst in the state and those completing secondary school are increasingly finishing with low tertiary admission scores.

Saving the campus seems simple compared with the other two issues.

It is clear governments need to do more to help local groups involved in the Beyond The Bell program that has been working in the region for three years to address low attainment rates.

State Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said her government was keen to join that fight – music to everyone’s ears.

Federal Member for Wannon Dan Tehan, his Labor challenger Michael Barling and state MPs Roma Britnell and James Purcell vowed their bipartisan support.

Their willingness to work together is another positive. The challenge now is to find answers and produce sustainable results.