Public Exhibition Opens for $171m UNSW Campus Development

Public Exhibition Opens for $171m UNSW Campus Development

April 29, 2025

People walk and sit beneath trees outside a proposed UNSW education building with a tall, terracotta-coloured facade and vertical fins.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is advancing plans for a major new education facility at its Kensington campus. A $171 million development proposal, known as the G25 Education Building, is now on public exhibition. Community feedback is invited from 23 April 2025 to 20 May 2025.

Proposal Overview

The application seeks approval for the construction of an eleven-storey education building. It will offer a gross floor area of approximately 20,200 square metres.

The building will include a basement level with plant rooms, bike storage, End of Trip facilities, and staff amenities. The ground floor will provide a food and beverage tenancy alongside informal education spaces. Upper levels will accommodate flexible teaching and learning environments for UNSW faculties.

The rooftop will feature landscaped outdoor terraces, a multifunctional space, and mechanical plant services. In addition, the proposal includes demolition of the existing on-grade car park, site excavation, tree removal, landscaping improvements, and upgrades to infrastructure and services.

A new lift core will also be constructed in the adjacent Botany Street Carpark (Building H25) to improve accessibility within the campus.

Artist impression by Architectus

Background of the Proposal

The site, known as the G25 site, is located at 8 High Street, Kensington, within the Randwick Local Government Area. It currently comprises a surface car park, sections of Library Walk, and the Australian Graduate School of Management loading dock area.

Strategically positioned six kilometres south-east of the Sydney CBD, the campus sits near the Randwick Hospital Complex and Royal Randwick Racecourse. It also benefits from access to public transport, including light rail services.

The proposal forms part of UNSW’s broader campus renewal initiatives outlined in the UNSW 2025 Strategy. These initiatives seek to enhance educational, research, and public domain facilities across the Kensington campus.

The site is legally described as Lot 5 DP1264171 and is zoned SP2 Infrastructure – Educational Establishment under the Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012.

Strategic Importance

The G25 Education Building is located within the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct. This area is identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities and the Eastern City District Plan as a specialised centre for health, research, education, and innovation.

The site’s proximity to major institutions, including the Randwick Hospital Complex and the Royal Randwick Racecourse, positions it within an important knowledge-based hub. Public transport connections, such as the light rail, enhance accessibility to the precinct and Sydney’s broader metropolitan area.

Accordingly, the proposal responds to planning priorities that seek to deliver new educational infrastructure in strategic centres. It also aligns with the Randwick Collaboration Area Place Strategy, which encourages coordinated growth and investment across the health and education sectors.

Artist impression by Architectus

Planning Framework and Compliance

The proposed development is classified as State Significant Development (SSD) under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021. It qualifies due to its purpose as a tertiary institution building and its Estimated Development Cost of $171,084,000.

The project has been prepared with regard to several strategic documents. These include the Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012, the Greater Sydney Region Plan, the Eastern City District Plan, and the Randwick Collaboration Area Place Strategy.

The building design also reflects principles from the Government Architect NSW’s Better Placed policy. In addition, it incorporates the Connecting with Country framework to acknowledge cultural and environmental values in the site’s development.