Charles Sturt University (CSU) has presented a plan to Albury City Council (ACC) for the sale of its former site in central Albury that provides a future sensitive to the economic, environmental, social and historic development of the city.
The University’s Development Control Plan (DCP) will provide the framework for future development allowed on the site, which is bounded by Olive, Guinea, Wilson and David Streets immediately north of the Albury central business district.
CSU’s Executive Director of Facilities Management, Mr Stephen Butt, said the plan “will be the basis for the vision of how the existing land and buildings, some already listed as historically significant, can be used in the future”.
“Charles Sturt University could easily have sold the land, walked away and left the planning to others. But we wanted to encourage development on the site that will promote better environmental conditions, maintain public access, and maintain and appropriately re-use historic buildings, while providing some certainty for the city and its residents,” Mr Butt said.
The DCP was prepared by AECOM Design and Planning Consultants in accordance with Albury City Council’s Local Environment Plan 2010. The plan has been lodged with the Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee for consideration, after which it will be on display for public comment for 28 days.
CSU was established in 1989 as a multi-campus institution including Albury, where a campus was created with the acquisition of buildings in central Albury.
The University recently relocated most of its teaching, research and administrative services in Albury-Wodonga from central Albury to its 87-hectare Thurgoona site. The University has invested over $40 million in its Thurgoona development that includes innovative ecologically sustainable design principles and practices in all buildings constructed since 1996. One administration building has been awarded six green stars – the top rating in Australia for sustainable design and construction.
The relocation to Thurgoona and subsequent disposal of the central Albury site aims to provide a number of advantages for the University:
- Greater efficiency by operating all teaching, research and administrative services on one site
- Greater focus and visibility by having a single site;
- A new campus that is “energised and alive” with facilities for flexible teaching, learning and research spaces as well as on-site student accommodation and recreation to enhance the student experience;
- The opportunity for CSU to demonstrate to the international, national and inland educational, cultural and intellectual communities its commitment to innovative and ecologically sustainable development; and,
- Leaving a lasting legacy with the sale and development of CSU’s central Albury site that is consistent with the cultural heritage values of the site and provide opportunities for the development of a vibrant inner city precinct.
The CSU Allied Health Clinic will continue to be located on the corner of Guinea and Olive Streets. It is due to move to the Thurgoona site in 2012.
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