Student Accommodation

Providing suitable accommodation is essential for students accessing university courses. The demand for student accommodation has significantly increased since the peak COVID years, with current and predicted future high demand.

There is an overall lack of any accommodation for students, whether purpose-built or within the local rental market, where rental vacancies are at historic lows. This housing shortage impacts opportunities for people to access tertiary education and the surrounding residential community.

The planning and engagement process undertaken since 2022 to inform the future use of the Nedlands site identified a range of potential future uses, including student accommodation.

Following investigations in 2023 across UWA’s property portfolio, the Nedlands site was identified as the most appropriate for several reasons:

• The site is already reserved for University Purposes under the Metropolitan Region Scheme, which allows for student housing.
• The land can be developed without disrupting existing educational purposes, as no existing buildings will need to be demolished or replaced.
• The site allows for expedited construction to cater for the University’s accommodation needs by 2027, at a viable construction cost.
• The site is close to the Crawley campus and other student accommodation.
• It is located on a high-frequency bus route.

The development of student accommodation provides a range of benefits including:

• Enabling students to access housing so they can undertake their tertiary education
• Releases demand on the local rental market, which has an historically low vacancy rate, and precludes many people from accessing affordable housing
• More residents living close to the Hampden Road commercial strip will support local shops and services

There is currently no student accommodation on the Nedlands site. However, the development of student accommodation is a permitted use under the current University Purposes reservation and doesn’t require any changes to site zoning.

The University is also ensuring that the proposed student accommodation, as outlined in the current Development Application, aligns with the broader vision of the site’s future planned uses and integrates with the surrounding precinct context.

As the site is already reserved for University Purposes under the Metropolitan Region Scheme, the process for developing student accommodation requires the submission of a Development Application. The application will be lodged with the City of Perth, who will then make a recommendation to the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC). The WAPC is the final decision maker in this process.

Although there is no legal requirement for engagement before submitting a Development Application, UWA has proactively engaged students, staff, local residents and community members in the planning process. Findings from the 2023 engagement have been used to inform the design of the proposed student accommodation. Additionally, UWA will invite the community to attend open day information sessions to learn more about what is proposed in the Development Application.

While not mandatory, the statutory planning bodies (local government and WAPC) may choose to advertise the Development Application for community feedback. The planning officers will use this feedback to help inform the report provided for the WAPC’s deliberations. The WAPC will make the final decision regarding the Development Application.

The University plans to operate the student accommodation directly. Unlike the nearby residential colleges, this new accommodation will be self-catered, providing a more independent style of living.

Student residents will have access to the University’s facilities within the University. The proposed development includes public amenities, such as a café and commercial spaces on the ground floor, which will be open to the broader community.

The key engagement findings relating to rooms, amenities, built form and community connection are summarised below:

1. Student Room Aspirations

• The Student Reference Group shared key room preferences, including:
  • Double bed (with some favouring king single and queen beds)
  • The ability to personalise the room space
  • Ability to manage the sensory environment (i.e. lighting, noise and temperature).
  • Sufficient storage and kitchen amenities.

2. Amenities Aspirations

• The most important amenities for students included:
  • roof terrace
  • 24/7 reception and parcel drop
  • shared kitchen and informal learning spaces

3. Built Form Aspirations

• Investigation two (taller and more slender design) was more favourable to stakeholders than Investigation one – as it was less bulky and had greater articulation.
• Engagement highlighted the need for a safe, sustainable environment that embodies the character of UWA’s campus.
• Key issues that stakeholders identified as needing to be addressed were parking and building costs (Note: 80% of Student Reference Group members indicated they would not require a car parking space for private vehicles as they would use public transport).

4. Community Connection

Having a connection to the community was highly desired from all participants. Of primary importance were:

• Providing a safe and obvious connection between Crawley, Nedlands and the river with pathways that have and interesting interaction with buildings and natural landscapes.
• Accessibility to the commercial / retail spaces in the area (e.g. good access to businesses on Hampton Road).
• Provision of amenities such as community garden and event spaces.
• Design the accommodation to be inclusive, diverse and equitable

There may be opportunities for additional feedback if the statutory planning bodies advertise the Development Application for community input. Any feedback would then be considered by the authorities during the final approval process for the Development Application.

The design proposes that 847 accomodation beds will be provided in the new student accommodation.

The current development design proposes a range of amenities, including:

• Common amenity areas include an open plan common room/lounge area, shared kitchen, dining space and laundry.
• The variety of study areas include open/collaboration study, quiet individual learning, quiet group learning and outdoor study spaces.
• Social and creative amenity spaces include rooms for gaming, music and multi-media purposes (e.g. for karaoke, movies).
• Outdoor amenities include a BBQ area, outdoor cinema, outdoor study and communal garden.

The proposed building will consist of 13 storeys, including a partly covered rooftop amenities area. The maximum height from ground level to the highest part of the building is metres. As a reference, the Winthrop Hall Clock Tower is 47m in height. As a reference, the Winthrop Hall Clock Tower is 49m in height.

The upper floors (from the second floor upwards) will have a significantly narrower footprint than the ground and first floors to minimise the overall bulk of the building.

The design of the building has undergone an extensive review process to ensure high quality and suitability for its location. This includes independent evaluations by qualified built environment professionals experienced in offering objective and constructive design advice. The University’s design review panel, which includes external independent experts, has reviewed the proposed student accommodation design twice during its development. Additionally, the final design is under review by the City of Perth’s architect and the City’s independent Design Review Panel (DRP) as part of the Development Application process.

Feedback from the City of Perth DRP will help inform the design of the building, and the findings will also be considered by the WAPC before a decision is made on the Development Application. The review of the design will take into account the 10 principles of good design set out in State Planning Policy 7.0 ‘Design of the Built Environment’.

The building design has been informed by an arborist report and cultural heritage engagement, with a focus on preserving significant trees, including sheoak trees, gum trees and peppermint trees. UWA aims to create spaces that respect the rich living heritage of Whadjuk Country. While some trees may need to be removed for new construction, every effort will be made to preserve them wherever possible.

A proposed 12-metre setback from the site boundary to Gordon Street and Hampden Road will be implemented to retain existing trees. This setback is double the requirement under the City of Nedlands’ Local Planning Policy 5.14, which applies to properties on the north side of Gordon Street, opposite the site boundary. The building design also incorporates a podium on the ground floor to provide a more pedestrian-friendly scale to Gordon Street.

The site is near bus stops on Hampden Road, which provide high-frequency bus routes to and from the Perth CBD via Transperth services, including the 950 and the Purple CAT.

Parking is proposed to be provided for staff of the student accommodation and commercial tenancies. The existing parking displaced by the proposed development is planned to be offset by the construction of additional parking on or near the Crawley campus.

A traffic impact statement has been prepared, and no significant increase in traffic is expected. There will be no designated parking for student residents, consistent with the purpose-built student accommodation developments within the Perth CBD. However, student residents requiring parking will have access to other campus parking facilities.

NOTE: During the consultation process, 80% of the students engaged indicated they would not require the use of a private vehicle due to the available public transport options.

The current design of the proposed building ensures there will be no overshadowing of surrounding residential properties, except for Trinity Residential College, where limited overshadowing may occur in the afternoon.

The proposed student accommodation building will be set back approximately 24 metres from the nearest boundary of a residential property to the north, and approximately 45 metres from the Early Learning Centre. These separation distances are considered sufficient to avoid any significant overlooking or loss of privacy for occupants of those premises.

Yes, the ground floor of the development includes designated commercial tenancy space. A café has been purposefully incorporated into the plans in response to stakeholder feedback. The use of the remaining commercial tenancy space is yet to be confirmed but could potentially accommodate a medical centre, commercial offices, food outlet or retail purposes. The Development Application is seeking approval for relevant land uses associated with these commercial spaces.

The University recognises the importance of childcare services to both UWA and the local community. As such, the proposed development will not impact the UWA Early Learning Centre, which will be located approximately 45-metres away from the Student accommodation site.