Edith Cowan University will create a $695 million campus in the centre of Perth, as part of a deal that will also support Western Australia’s economic recovery. Here are the key details:

1.WHERE WILL IT BE LOCATED? The ECU City Campus will be built at Perth City Link, next to Yagan Square, adjoining Perth Railway Station.

2. WHO IS PAYING? The project will cost $695 million. ECU will contribute $300 million to the project, while the Federal Government will contribute $245 million as part of the Perth City Deal. The State Government is providing in-kind support through the provision of land valued at $150 million.

3. WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN? It is anticipated the university will be completed in time for semester one 2025.

4. WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE? The multi-story vertical campus will house 8000 students and 1200 staff from technology, business, creative and performing arts programs. The campus design will include digitally connected facilities for contemporary teaching, including adaptable spaces for immersive and experiential industry learning.

5. WHY? The new ECU City Campus will inject millions of dollars into the local economy and support jobs across a diverse range of sectors including education, construction, property, technology, arts, hospitality, retail and tourism. Planning Minister Rita Saffioti has described it as “the biggest announcement for the Perth city in the history of the state”. The project will help drive the recovery of the Western Australian economy providing a $1.5 billion boost to the local economy during construction and delivering an anticipated $7.5 billion in the longer term. 300+ live performances each year will reinvigorate Perth’s arts scene and the night-time economy. For Perth businesses and retailers, the presence of thousands of students, staff and visitors will deliver a daily dividend.

(WONDERING ABOUT THE OLD WAAPA CAMPUS? Mount Lawley Senior High School, which is bursting at the seams, will expand into the old WA Academy of Performing Arts facilities on Bradford Street, Mount Lawley.)

Pictured top: an artist’s impression of ECU’s new City Campus. Image supplied