None
Friday, 5 July 2013

The City of Perth and The University of Western Australia have issued a joint call for the Crawley campus of the state's oldest university to be brought entirely into the City of Perth under planned WA local government reforms.

This follows WA Premier Colin Barnett's suggestion in May that major capital city infrastructure such as UWA and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre should best be administered locally by the City of Perth.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi and UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson said the University's 53-hectare Crawley campus was currently subject to three separate local council jurisdictions - Nedlands, Subiaco and Perth.

"The boundary between City of Perth and City of Subiaco quite literally runs through the middle of UWA's iconic Winthrop Hall," Ms Scaffidi said.

She joined Professor Johnson in urging the WA Government to abolish historical boundary anomalies that have created a confusing mix of local council regulatory regimes across different parts of the Crawley campus.

"Adopting a more rational system of local government across the whole campus is vital for UWA's ongoing development as a world-class centre of excellence in advanced learning and research," Professor Johnson said.

"It will benefit the entire community by helping UWA to achieve its full potential as the leading international university in one of the world's best cities."

Ms Scaffidi said bringing all of the University into the City of Perth would have mutual benefits.

"It would clearly identify the UWA/QE2 precinct with the state's capital city as is the case with the Universities of Melbourne and Sydney," Ms Scaffidi said.

"A closer alignment between the City and UWA would bring a vibrant student population into the City's realm, with long-term community benefits.

"With the ‘knowledge economy' of such importance to our future, a clearer focus and important synergies can be achieved.

"The City's global networks can be used to good effect by linking research with commercial realisation and ultimately broadening the diversity of our economic base.

"A UWA/QE2 precinct is of strategic importance for the future of Perth as a capital city.

"The Council urges the Local Government Minister to look favourably on what is a sound proposal for the future of the City and its prime educational institution."

Media references

Peter Jackson (Media Liaison, City of Perth)  (+61 8)  9461 3342  /  (+61 4) 09 378 926
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

Tags

Channels
Events — Media Statements — University News