Progress at UNSW Canberra City Precinct

Works are progressing across the Canberra City Precinct, with refurbishment and Stage 1 construction activities in Parkes and Reid.

The development marks a significant investment in Canberra’s education and innovation landscape, with the precinct designed to bring together teaching, research and industry collaboration in a connected city environment.

A key milestone has been reached at the Parkes site, where over 500 metres of site hoarding has been installed along Constitution Avenue, Coranderrk Street and Parkes Way, signalling the next phase of development.

At the Reid precinct, newly refurbished spaces are now operational, including a new lecture theatre, seminar room and flexible event-ready foyer. These facilities support teaching, professional education and engagement with industry partners, and are already being used for a range of academic and external activities.

New amenities are also being introduced to support the growing campus community. The Commons café opens soon, providing convenient food and beverage options for students, staff and visitors. Operated by a local business, the café strengthens connections between the University and the surrounding community.

Planning is also progressing for renewal works in The Heart, which will serve as a central hub for the precinct, supporting shared campus activities and daily use.  

Alongside these physical developments, the UNSW Canberra City Precinct continues to support a growing innovation ecosystem. More than 350 industry professionals are currently working across UNSW Canberra sites, with five partners already co-located at the Reid campus – and a number that continues to grow.  

Significant research infrastructure is also taking shape across the precinct. This includes an engineering lab extension supporting the Advance Manufacturing Carbon Recycling Hub (AMCRH), the Protohub Makerspace prototyping facility, and the Large Indoor Robotics Test Arena (LIRTA). Located in the former CIT basketball court, LIRTA will before one of Australia’s largest indoor test flight facilities, supporting the development, testing and scaling of autonomous drones and robotic systems.

Together, these projects are laying the groundwork for a modern, integrated precinct that will support education, research and industry collaboration into the future.

To learn more about the UNSW Canberra City Precinct and follow its progress, visit the project website.