Deakin’s waterfront accommodation opens

MORE than 400 Deakin students will eventually call the Geelong waterfront home while staying in the university’s new student accommodation, which was officially opened on Friday.

Deakin vice-chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander joined Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne to open Brougham House, located within a few minutes’ walk of the Waterfront campus.

The 11-storey, $50 million building has capacity for 410 students, with about 160 moving in when the first stage of construction was completed in time for Trimester 1 this year.

It also includes a range of study and community spaces – these include a rooftop barbecue terrace with excellent views of the bay, which opened for the first time on Friday.

More students are expected to move in when Trimester 2 begins, with Brougham House to be fully occupied in time for the start of the 2019 university year.

Professor den Hollander said Brougham House was a key part of Deakin’s vision to offer more students an experience that was close to everything they needed to live, work, study and contribute to a vibrant community.

“I have set a KPI – the first letter I get about noisy students in the town, I’m going to send it to the mayor, and he can put it on his wall and thank them for showing that the city was alive.”

Brougham House is the University’s second student accommodation development in central Geelong, with the refurbished T&G building now home to 33 students.

“Deakin is delighted to be able to offer students a home that is centrally located to Geelong and moments from the Waterfront campus, along with access to the free University shuttle bus service to Waurn Ponds, and to the train station,” Professor den Hollander said.

Mr Wynne said he was at the sod turning for the building less than 18 months ago, and was impressed by the final result.

“Where can you think of another student accommodation building anywhere with that view? It is just extraordinary.”