A uni for the bend

Australia’s largest urban renewal project received a major boost in December with the State Government announcing a new Melbourne University campus in Fishermans Bend.

The government and the university have reached a deal that will see the university buy about seven hectares of the 37.7-hectare Holden site, which the government purchased in 2016 for $130 million.

Located within the new Employment Precinct of Fishermans Bend, Melbourne University will invest almost $1 billion to create a world-class engineering school just five kilometres from the CBD.

The new campus, which will open in the early 2020s, will be at the centre of the new Employment Precinct and will see more than 1000 new engineering and IT students and academics collaborate with industry leaders.

Treasurer Tim Pallas, Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll and Member for Albert Park Martin Foley joined University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis AC to announce the project on December 21.

Prof. Davis said the move would allow the university to undertake large scale research and innovation that couldn’t be accommodated at its Parkville campus – including autonomous vehicle testing, engine propulsion testing and wind tunnels.

The University’s economic modeling for its 2025 engineering strategy shows their investment will provide an $8 billion boost to Victoria’s economy and generate over 15,000 new jobs by 2035.

Local Member Martin Foley said the new campus would be “the jewel in a revitalised Fishermans Bend”.