Global Operator Plots Student Tower in Darwin

Global student accommodation provider Campus Living Villages has filed plans for a 14-storey student living tower in Darwin’s CBD.

Charles Darwin University would own the 357-bed property on a 1510sq m site at 56 Woods Street and lease it to Campus Living Villages (CLV) under a sublease arrangement.

CLV operates more than 45,000 beds across more than 45 sites globally and partners with 45-plus higher education institutions in Australia, the UK and the US.

CLV established its first student village at the University of Sydney in 2003 and has since expanded internationally, with backing from Australian pension funds.

According to the development application, the project would include single rooms, studio apartments, and two and four-bed cluster arrangements with shared amenities.

The developer would include sleeping areas, study spaces and lounge areas, and cooking facilities would be provided in all units except single rooms. DDA-compliant rooms would cater to students with accessibility requirements.

The proposed building would incorporate extensive communal facilities across its 14 levels.

A 237sq m communal area on level 13 would extend for the full width of the building. Ground floor amenities would comprise an 83sq m common room, 50sq m gymnasium and laundry facilities.

Sustainability features would include rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient systems and passive climate control measures such as shading, vertical vanes and strategic building orientation to reduce heat loading.

▲ Landscaped communal areas would be to the north-west and south of the proposed 357-bed student tower.

The site is within Zone CB (Central Business) under the Northern Territory Planning Scheme 2020, meaning the rooming accommodation proposal is merit assessable and requires a development permit.

Planning consultant Cunnington Rosse Town Planning and Consulting is managing the application process for the project, with Sydney-based AJC Architects handling the design.

According to planning documents, the development would address demand for purpose-built student accommodation associated with CDU while reducing pressure on affordable rental housing in the Darwin CBD.

The site is opposite the CDU Danala Education and Community Precinct at 54 Cavenagh Street, which includes an eight-storey education building.

Cultural considerations include retention of significant trees on the site, such as a Milkwood tree next to the south-eastern boundary. Frog Hollow Park, historically important as a water source for the Larrakia People, is nearby on Garramilla Boulevard.

The student accommodation sector nationally has attracted $1.8 billion in investment during 2025 to date, compared with $116 million in 2024, according to Knight Frank’s Australia PBSA Update for the second quarter of 2025.

Knight Frank research said investor confidence remained strong due to undersupply dynamics and international student enrolments running well above pre-pandemic levels.

The Darwin proposal comes as the Northern Territory prepares for potential major growth driven by resource developments, including Tamboran Resources’ Beetaloo Basin shale gas project and SunCable’s $30-billion solar energy proposal.

Territory planning officials expect these megaprojects to drive significant population spikes and property demand from 2030.

▲ Rendering of the PBSA proposed for the Darwin CBD.