The announcement of a new student accommodation complex will lay the foundations for Darwin to become an international education hub.
With Charles Darwin University finally set to open its long-awaited new city campus next month, the university has unveiled plans to build a state-of-the-art student accommodation complex in the heart of the CBD.
The student housing facility is part of CDU’s bid to transform the Northern Territory capital into an international student hub, with the goal of welcoming 6,000 foreign students by the end of 2027. The purpose-built accommodation is the first of its kind for the CBD, with architects tasked with ensuring the structure is purpose-built to handle Darwin’s unique humid and hot weather conditions.
Located opposite the university’s education and community precinct, the student housing will feature meticulously designed energy-efficiency technologies to help reduce its carbon footprint.
CDU Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman says the University was pleased to partner with Campus Living Villages (CLV) to deliver quality accommodation, which has a track record of building world-renowned student accommodation across the globe.
“This partnership with CLV aligns well with our desire to enhance the student experience within a supportive learning environment,” Professor Bowman says.
“By combining our resources and expertise, we can address the growing demand for accommodation and ensure that students have access to high-quality living options that complement their academic journey.”
Bowman believes the development of purpose-built student accommodation in the Top End is a key pillar to achieving the university’s ambition to transform Darwin into an international student mecca.
“CDU has a goal of having 6,000 international students by 2027, and this new accommodation will help support this goal and future goals as well as provide a safe space that supports our diverse student community,” he says.
CLV Group CEO John Schroder says the housing accommodation would be specifically designed for the needs of CDU students and their surrounding environment.
“Our collaboration represents an opportunity to create accommodation that enriches the student experience and contributes to the on-campus offering that will be tailored to the needs of CDU,” says Schroder.
“We are passionate about working with CDU to help build a community, which embraces and promotes student care and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as contemporary design that is very digitally activated in a range of room types to suit the needs of CDU students in Darwin.”
New CDU city campus to open its doors
The announcement comes as CDU prepares to open the doors to its twice-delayed new city campus, allowing students to live, work and study from the heart of Darwin’s CBD.
The mammoth-sized project is hoped to bring international students back to Darwin, which generated $145 million annually towards the NT’s economy before the pandemic.
Bowman says opening the city campus will transform Darwin education and unlock Northern Australia’s true potential.
“This campus is our commitment to ensuring academics, students, and the Darwin community reap the benefits of having a modern, high-quality tertiary education facility right on their doorstep,” he says.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro agrees that the purpose-built student accommodation will play an influential role in the Territory’s future.
“The CDU’s City Campus is aimed at helping make the Darwin CBD more vibrant and having student accommodation nearby makes it easier for students to get the training and skills they need to get highly skilled jobs in the Territory,” she says.
“International students contribute $169 million to our economy, and while studying, students play a big role in the workforce of the Territory, so having them live, work and study in the CBD is a big boost.
“Housing supply for domestic and international students remains an issue across state and territory lines, and I applaud the work of Charles Darwin University in scaling up local supply.”
