The Northern Territory Government has announced it has entered into an initial agreement with Charles Darwin University to deliver more student accommodation in Darwin’s central business district.
The new student accommodation building – expected to house around 350 students – would be located across the road from the Charles Darwin University City campus on a part of the site at 56 Woods Street Darwin.
The land includes the Old Darwin Primary School building and the new student accommodation facility will be positioned at the Woods Street end of the land and is not planned to impact the existing building.
Budget 2024 invests more than $109 million for vocational education and training, workforce growth and skilled workforce initiatives to support business and industry build the Territory’s workforce.
Currently, there are 3,772 Territorians in apprenticeship or traineeship.
“This agreement with CDU will ensure the next generation of Territory workers can stay near where they study, making it easier for them to get the skills they need for the career,” said Chief Minister, Eva Lawler.
“More students living and studying in the CBD will also deliver a big boost to local businesses and encourage more investment in Darwin.
“I will always stand up to Canberra to fight for the Territory, that’s why we need to be exempt from any international student cap imposed on the East Coast or down south.”
Together with the Federal Government, the Territory Government is making 2,200 Fee-Free TAFE training placements made available between 2024 and 2026. Since the programs introduction in 2023, 1,867 Territorians have undertaken fee-free training.
The Charles Darwin University City Campus is nearing completion, with the new campus bringing hundreds of new staff and thousands of students into the Darwin CBD and will be a significant driver of economic, social and cultural opportunities for Darwin, and the whole of Northern Australia, cementing the community’s future capacity to thrive, grow and prosper.
“Providing this agreement to Charles Darwin University gives them certainty that there will be land in the Darwin CBD for student accommodation, which will complement the new CDU city campus,” said Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, and International Education, Joel Bowden.
“We will continue to lobby for more international students to the Territory. They provide so much culture to the Territory, and our community values them so much.
“There are currently more than 5,600 international students studying in the Northern Territory contributing around $169 million each year to the Territory economy. We are aiming to grow that to 10,000 international students by 2030.”
The Chief Minister confirmed she had also written to the Federal Government to ensure that the Northern Territory is carved out and exempted from any caps to international students imposed on other parts of Australia.
