December 5, 2016

New postgraduate accommodation on track for 2017

Bangalay construction nears completion

UOW’s vision of providing modern, high quality, on-campus accommodation for Australian and international postgraduate students will soon become a reality as construction of the first of two major accommodation expansion projects nears completion.

Named ‘Bangalay’ after the Eucalyptus tree whose bark was commonly used by the Dharawal People—the region's traditional owners—to build shelters, 254 bed facility is nestled among the tall gum trees lining Northfields Ave directly opposite the University’s main Wollongong Campus.

Designed to accommodate mature-age and postgraduate students, Bangalay offers a mix of single and double bed studios or two and three bedroom units for students with families.

All units are fully self-contained with their own kitchen and living facilities enabling independent living while also offering residents access to shared recreation, study and meeting facilities as well as landscaped outdoor communal and car parking areas.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings, CBE, toured the Bangalay construction site on Monday 5 December to be updated on the project’s progress by a representative of Hutchinson Builders.

“Having toured the site, I am pleased to see the project progressing on time and budget as we enter the final stages of construction. I look forward to these wonderful new facilities being available to students for the 2017 academic year.

“By having modern student accommodation facilities located on campus, with easy access to public transport and campus facilities such as our recently opened supermarket, we are helping create an outstanding student experience, a vibrant campus life, while also minimising private car usage and the resulting traffic and parking impacts.

“We look forward to these new accommodation facilities being well received by Australian and international students considering the University of Wollongong for the next stage in their academic careers,” Professor Wellings said.

Bangalay is the first of two major on-campus accommodation construction projects currently underway. The second is an 800 bed expansion of Kooloobong Village with an associated multi-storey carpark at the western end of the main Wollongong Campus. This project is due for completion by 2018.

Once both projects are completed UOW’s accommodation portfolio will offer more than 2500 beds, adding to Wollongong’s attraction as a tertiary study destination.

These projects are part of an innovative public/private partnership under which UOW licenced its accommodation assets to the Living + Learning Partners consortium in 2014.