La Trobe University City will provide housing for up to 15,000 people.
The project will feature four distinct neighbourhoods. North Village will primarily serve residents, while East Village near Macleod Train Station will combine student accommodation with other facilities. South Village will centre on research and commercial partnerships, and the City Centre area will expand academic and retail facilities. Three villages will provide housing for up to 15,000 residents across 9,300 homes, while the fourth will serve 40,000 students.
Consultations with stakeholders and local communities, including the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, shaped the planning process. Key research areas identified for the new precinct include health innovation, sustainable agriculture, AI, food systems, and digital transformation. The initiative aims to strengthen links between academia and industry and support economic growth in northern Melbourne.
The project is expected to create up to 33,500 jobs across multiple sectors, including 3,000 in construction. Plans include pedestrian-friendly streets, expanded cycleways, public transport improvements, and provisions for a future Suburban Rail Loop station. Sustainability measures feature prominently, including protection and enhancement of over one million square metres of open space such as the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor. Existing sports precincts are already completed for teaching, community use, and elite sport.
La Trobe University chancellor John Brumby said: “University City could boost Gross Regional Product in Melbourne’s north-east by an estimated A$440 million each year by the completion of the project, while additional interstate and international students could spend around A$202 million per annum in the Victorian economy.” Vice-chancellor Theo Farrell added: “University City is a bold, purpose-built innovation city where education drives everything – and sparks so much more. 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.”
Plenary Group, appointed as master development partner in 2022, began construction earlier this year on an A$82 million University Health Clinic at the Melbourne campus. Plenary Infrastructure head Damien Augustinus said: “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 in the education and life sciences space, make us ideally placed to deliver on La Trobe’s University City vision.”
The master plan positions La Trobe University City as a model for integrated academic, residential, and commercial precincts in Australia, combining research excellence, sustainable design, and community engagement to deliver long-term economic and social benefits for Melbourne’s north-east.
