Mr Tehan said Deakin plans to announce more details about its commitment after October 3 but he believed the south-west community needed to have certainty about the campus’s future as soon as possible.

The details of the commitment had still to be worked out, he said.

Mr Tehan said the university council made the commitment on Friday following a presentation from the Regional Tertiary Advisory Group (RTAG), a south-west alliance of industry, employers and academics.

The council had decided to take the $14 million offered by the federal government to bolster the campus’s sustainability, he said.

“This is obviously very positive news for the community following what has been a very difficult period,” Mr Tehan said.

RTAG co-chair Felicity Melican said Mr Tehan’s announcement was terrific news and RTAG looked forward to hearing what the university’s long-term commitment involved.

The university’s vice chancellor Jane den Hollander said in an email to staff on Monday the council had requested “the university management develop a change management proposal for the continued operation of the campus and higher education in Warrnambool.”

The university said it would make a further announcement after its next communication to staff on October 3.