The most significant expansion to the University of Newcastle's Central Coast campus since its construction 15 years ago will be unveiled today. Federal Member for Robertson, Deborah O'Neill, will officially open the new Education and Nursing building.

The new building is part of a $20 million capital expenditure program that has been underway for two years and will provide state-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces, and help to accommodate the growing demand for nursing programs at the campus. Enrolments at the Central Coast campus have increased by 40 per cent over the past five years and reached 4,290 students in 2011.

The Education and Nursing building will provide model classrooms for education, specialist information technology teaching spaces, a simulation laboratory for nursing and general purpose classrooms. The $4.8 million smart building will also conserve energy through a computerised management system that reduces the amount of power used for cooling and heating.