Estate Master Plan Update

The University of Melbourne’s Estate Master Plan (EMP) was launched in June 2023, outlining a vision for an on-campus experience that fosters diversity, innovation, and a global mindset.

The EMP identified over 70 estate priority needs, with most focusing on the Parkville campus and others highlighting the need for comprehensive planning studies at other University campuses.

Since 2023, extensive engagement has taken place to better understand the current and future needs of our students, staff, researchers, and faculties. This has also led to the completion of infrastructure projects across several campuses and the development of studies and frameworks to support the planning, design, and construction of EMP projects.

Opportunities beyond our campuses are also being explored to enhance our campus communities and foster enduring relationships with our precinct partners.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Six priority infrastructure projects have been completed since mid-2023:
  1. A new Dookie Student Accommodation Building opened in 2024, adding 85 ensuite rooms for students and visiting researchers.
  2. The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence, an Indigenous-led educational centre, opened in mid-2024 on Yorta Yorta Country, Shepparton. This state-of-the-art building incorporates Aboriginal knowledge into its design and programs, symbolising decades of effort to place First Nations at the forefront of higher education.
  3. A new, Indigenous-designed home for Indigenous students and staff of Murrup Barak was completed in late-2024 on the Parkville campus, providing space for informal study, tutoring, outreach, and gatherings.
  4. The Campus Canteen opened in March 2025, offering students affordable and healthy meal options on the Parkville campus.
  5. A new De-extinction Science Lab Space was completed in 2024, co-locating reproductive biologists and scientists to support genomics research, including efforts to de-extinct the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) and advance marsupial conservation.
  6. The new AURIN Workspace was completed, enabling the co-location of Architecture, Building, and Planning colleagues in the Baldwin Spencer Building while improving workspaces to support eResearch.
• Nine estate projects are currently under construction, with an additional 11 in the design phase.
• A series of comprehensive planning studies and supporting frameworks have been completed or are underway to support the implementation of the Estate Master Plan vision for the University. These include the Science Precinct Master Plan, the Dookie and Burnley Conservation Plans, and an MDHS Planning Study.