La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus is set for an ambitious transformation, with a $5 billion masterplan unveiled on 12 November that will create three new village precincts, a thriving city centre, and housing for 15,000 people in Melbourne’s north.
The 30-year project, titled La Trobe University City, aims to evolve the existing 255-hectare campus into a vibrant, sustainable hub of learning, research, and innovation, with facilities designed to accommodate 40,000 students.
Developed in close consultation with stakeholders and the community, including the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, the masterplan represents one of Victoria’s largest integrated education and urban development projects.
Chancellor John Brumby AO said the project would redefine La Trobe’s place in Melbourne’s north by fostering jobs, innovation and economic growth.
“University City could boost Gross Regional Product in Melbourne’s north-east by an estimated $440 million each year by the completion of the project, while additional interstate and international students could spend around $202 million per annum in the Victorian economy,” the Chancellor said.
“La Trobe University City will not only transform our campus, it will create a thriving community that drives innovation and economic prosperity.”
At the heart of the development is a purpose-built research and innovation ecosystem, leveraging La Trobe’s academic strengths in health innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture and food, and digital transformation.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the initiative would significantly enhance the quality of life for students and staff, while enriching the wider community.
“University City is a bold, purpose-built innovation city where education drives everything — and sparks so much more,” Professor Farrell said.
“With world-class research, teaching and talent at its core, University City is a connected ecosystem of industry, health, housing, culture, sport and green space. It’s a new model of how knowledge, place and imagination come together.
“La Trobe University will be a thriving city that brings together living, learning and working in a sustainable environment designed for future growth.”
The University selected Plenary Group as its master development partner in 2022. Earlier this year, Plenary began work on an $82 million University Health Clinic at the Melbourne campus, marking one of the first major projects to take shape within the broader vision.
Plenary Group Head of Infrastructure Damien Augustinus said University City would set a global benchmark for university precinct design.
“University City will cement La Trobe as a global university of choice for students and staff, increase engagement with government, industry and the community, and showcase it as a sustainability exemplar.
“Our experience in forming long-term partnerships that deliver complex projects, combined with the depth of experience that we have in the education and life sciences space, make us ideally placed to deliver on La Trobe’s University City vision.”
The masterplan outlines four interconnected neighbourhoods (North Village, East Village, South Village, and City Centre), with each fostering a distinctive identity.
Together, they will deliver 15 per cent affordable housing, 33,500 jobs across construction and ongoing operations, and more than one million square metres of climate-resilient open space, including the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor.
With expanded cycling networks, new roads and laneways, and a proposed Suburban Rail Loop station, La Trobe University City promises to become a model for sustainable urban innovation and a new economic anchor for Melbourne’s north.
