University of Newcastle Files Plans for City Campus Student Housing Development

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky, AO said the SSDA was formally submitted to the Department of Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) for assessment after extensive planning and development, and consultation with the community.

“We are moving closer to having shovels in the ground and making our vision of providing more accommodation options in the city for new and existing students a reality,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“Addressing the housing needs of our students has always been one of our highest priorities, and with the proposed 445 beds in this new building, we aim to provide some relief to the growing demand for student accommodation.

“I’d like to thank all the community members who attended our project drop-in sessions and provided their input on the development to help us prepare our application.

“The feedback we received was incredibly valuable to our project team, who have worked tirelessly over the last six months to prepare the SSDA and ensure we are meeting the community’s needs while delivering a contemporary, comfortable, and supportive student accommodation offering in the city.

“We expect the assessment to take several months, but we are confident of receiving the green light from the DHPI and being able to begin construction in 2025. This is expected to take approximately 18 months.”

As part of the development assessment process, public exhibition of the SSDA will be held, allowing community members and any interested parties to share their thoughts by making a formal submission to provide feedback on the project.

Early works to prepare the site for construction are due to begin at the corner of Worth Place and Civic Lane in late 2024. This work will include the relocation of approximately 45 existing parking spaces to ensure no impact on overall parking capacity during construction or after the development is complete.