The university needs extra safe surfaces for tracks (5)

I believe the answer is:

tunes

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'surfaces for tracks' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to change as well as being verbs in their -s form.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'the university needs extra safe' is the wordplay.
'the' becomes 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects).
'university' becomes 'U' (abbreviation as in UMass).
'needs extra safe' becomes 'nes' (this could be a standard abbreviation I've not previously seen).
't'+'u'+'nes'='TUNES'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for tunes that I've seen is " Airs, melodies".)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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