The University of Melbourne (UniMelb) has announced that it has struck an agreement for a new precinct to boost the services and facilities offered to the university’s postgraduate students.
The 42-year concession agreement with AMP Capital for UniMelb’s ‘Melbourne Connect’ precinct is due for completion in late 2020.
The precinct – to be delivered through the University’s consortium with Lendlease, GIC and Spotless – offers 40,000 square metres worth of space for the Melbourne School of Engineering, Melbourne Entrepreneurial Centre and Science Gallery Melbourne.
The new space will house the university’s first dedicated postgraduate residential community for visiting and academic fellow through a 527-bed accommodation facility. It will also provide areas for shared meeting and events space, its industry partners, childcare and retail.
UniMelb Vice President (Administration & Finance) and chief operating officer Allan Tait said the agreement will help the university “continue to provide world-class student accommodation.”
“Melbourne Connect will be a world-leading innovation precinct and the student accommodation will match that ambition," Tait said.
"It will have the highest quality facilities and amenities, giving postgraduate students the best opportunity to thrive while they pursue their academic and research interests.”
The need for quality accommodation
Given the rising rent and shrinking available spaces in cities, students – especially international students – and even visiting fellows are finding it increasingly hard to locate decent accommodation.
A recent study by the Universities of Sydney and Technology Sydney (UTS) Law found that more than one in three international students end up in share-housing as their first home. Students who are in share-housing are frequently subject to illegal or poor living conditions.
The study also found that some 57% of students experience these poor conditions, which include overcrowded spaces, unsafe accommodation, harassment, and even paying in advance for an accommodation that did not exist in the first place.
Some students also report experiencing sudden increases in rent in the middle of their contract, as well as unfair evictions.
“We now know that it’s the advertisements on peer-to-peer sharing platforms like Gumtree and Flatmates.com.au and social media that lure the most international students into exploitative housing situations,” Dr Laurie Berg, from UTS law and one of the researchers, said.
“In fact, 11% of students who used Gumtree paid for accommodation that did not even exist. These sites must invest resources in protecting and empowering these vulnerable users.”
The study’s authors demand an investment of resources and timely and systematic responses to international students’ woes.
Education providers were also urged to provide services “to empower and support international students” while governments were called to make an effort to go after rogue education providers.