THE University of New South Wales Canberra (UNSW Canberra) is currently exploring opportunities with the ACT government to develop a new academic precinct in the territory.

UNSW Canberra rector Michael Frater says the University of New South Wales is committed to working with the ACT government in exploring exciting new opportunities to expand teaching, research and collaborative industry activities in Canberra.

UNSW’s connection with Canberra goes back 50 years through agreements with the Department of Defence, initially at the Royal Military College Duntroon and from 1986 at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). UNSW enrols about 3200 students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs at its current Canberra campus.

“A new city-centre development could not only support existing students, but attract bright new candidates particularly from overseas, and provide huge economic benefits to Canberra and the rest of the nation,” Prof Frater says.

“It’s a unique opportunity for UNSW Canberra to expand its research and teaching, and provide additional student accommodation and services.”

The next step in the process is to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with the ACT government. An external feasibility study will then be conducted to inform the specific shape of the collaboration, before a detailed consultation program with the ACT community.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the ACT government and the University of New South Wales Canberra will develop a Memorandum of Understanding to guide discussions on a possible major new campus for up to 10,000 students in Canberra. 

“The proposed new campus would include student accommodation, research and teaching facilities, as part of an exciting new city east education precinct with a UNSWCanberra campus development alongside the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Reid campus,” Mr Barr says.

“The city east precinct currently has undeveloped government land that has been earmarked for release in the near future. The CIT campus modernisation program also provides opportunities to redevelop parts of the existing site as CIT consolidates and improves its facilities.”

Mr Barr says growing the higher education sector is a fundamental part of our plan to diversify the territory economy and create new jobs. 

“The Government intends to finalise the MoU with UNSW Canberra by the end of 2017, with more detailed planning and community engagement on project specifics to occur throughout 2018,” he says.