[+] Universities Guiding Way for Regional Growth

The role universities play in smaller towns and communities goes deeper than education and research—they’re helping reshape their hometowns. With a societal shift under way, combined with flexible and remote work arrangements, the number of priced-out inner-city dwellers, mostly millennials, moving to regional areas hit a 12-month high in May and sits 20 per cent above the pre-Covid average. As part of its $66.9-million initiative, the Federal Government wants to double the number of university study hubs across the country and also bring the hubs to the outer suburbs of major cities, which lack significant physical university campuses and where the local population has a low rate of university qualifications. In March, the Government announced 10 new regional university study hubs in addition to the existing 34 hubs across the country that currently support 4000 students. The Government also provided additional funding to two established hubs. Southern Cross University this year launched a $140-million redevelopment masterplan, with an ambition to transform its 30-year-old Lismore campus into an “education, research and community precinct” that will serve as “a regular and frequent part of the community activities”. Given the city, which is 730km north of the NSW capital and 200km south of Brisbane, was devastated by record floods in 2022 and is still a long way from recovery, it is welcome news. SCU chief marketing officer Dean Gould says the Lismore new hub will focus on repurposing and rebuilding the current teaching spaces “as much as possible” while adding “enhanced walkways” that will help people get around and move from one precinct to another. ▲ A render of part of the planned reinvigoration of the SCU campus at Lismore in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The masterplan will also set a pioneering model for regional university towns, highlighting the shift from a traditional study focused approach to “a dynamic, multi-faceted hub of research, innovation and community partnerships”. The refurbished campus will have new hubs, including one for gathering spaces and the education research area, one dedicated to the community facilities, and another devoted to the Indigenous activities and heritage of the region. The proposal includes a new outdoor amphitheatre for cultural events while the Learning Centre’s transformation will enhance the student experience, offering cutting-edge library, study, lounge and teaching areas. Gould says external organisations, including Trinity Catholic College, Lismore Health Precinct, and North Coast Academy of Sport, have become involved in the SCU campus. “We have different organisations that find the compatibility in being based at our university campus, which is really conducive to the work they are doing. And we have space [to offer],” he says. According to Gould, the role universities play in regional Australia is a significant component of the region’s economic ecosystem. “[The universities have the ability] to provide professional and academic career paths for hundreds of people, in addition to their capacity to attract research investments in agriculture, environment, health, education and sciences,” Gould told The Urban Developer . ▲ A render of the new-look entrance to the Lismore campus. “That simply would not happen without universities being in place in these regional towns.” However, the regional hubs also face challenges, including a complexity of the recruitment process for bringing people to regional areas, as well as the scale and ability of communities to sustain their student populations. “The biggest challenge, though, is dealing with the capacity of organisations—commercial, private, governmental or quasi-governmental—to service the institution as large as the university at the scale that we need. We find it challenging sometimes because there are not many institutions in the regions as large as universities,” Gould says. The proposed University of New England Tamworth Campus is another example of the expansion of regional university campuses reinvigorating the community. Under the proposal, which went on display in 2023, the UNE Tamworth Campus will include a new building in the Tamworth CBD on the old velodrome site, which will offer “an inspiring physical space for student support and engagement with the community”. The Architectus-designed structure will also “reflect the landscape and the bend of the Peel River” and will be a key strategic factor in the growth and development of the Tamworth region. It is expected the project will allow residents to study while continuing to live and work in the region, and will generate additional jobs across the education and supporting sector. Other examples of the regional campus-driven urban renewals include the Griffith University recent commitment to expand its offering to 1000 beds at its Southport campus, Charles Darwin University’s planned development for a 350-bed student accommodation in the CBD’s Education and Community Precinct, Danala, and plans for a 450-bed purpose-built student accommodation facility announced by the University of Newcastle for its city campus. ▲ A render of the planned UNE building on the former velodrome site at Tamworth in the New England region of NSW. You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

[+] Universities Guiding Way for Regional Growth

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