1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: So, as we mentioned just a little while ago, the 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Northern Territory Government has struck a deal with Charles Dawen 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: University to deliver more student accommodation. It's said to be 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: located at fifty six Woods straight across the road from 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: the city campus, with capacity for three hundred and fifty students. 6 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line to tell us a 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: bit more, Vice Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman, Good morning to you. 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 2: Morning, Katie. I haven't spoken to you for agent, it has. 9 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 3: Been a while, Professor. It's good to have you on 10 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 3: the show. 11 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: And in what seems like some good news, I understand 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: the old Darwin Primary School building is part of the land. 13 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: Will the student accommodation impact that at all? 14 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: No, it won't, So the old school is going to 15 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: stay there. So it's the corner of that land, just 16 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: quite small corner there. We've been using that for the 17 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: last couple of years to put all the materials and 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: what have you for the new building on. So it's 19 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: been used for that and now the MTG have said 20 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: they're going to make that available to us to build 21 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: student accommodation. 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: Well that is it seems like good news, I guess 23 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: My initial thoughts are it's going to take a few 24 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: years to get that accommodation up and running. What are 25 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: we do in the meantime with the federal government announcing 26 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: these caps on international students. 27 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: Well, the first thing I'm doing is getting on a 28 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: plane this afternoon and I've got meeting with lots of 29 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 2: ministers down in Canberra to tell them, well, these things 30 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 2: might work for elsewhere in Australia, but we need people 31 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 2: in the territory and preferably don't put caps on, give 32 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 2: us caps to really meet our needs in the territory. 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: So that's the first thing. 34 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: Yep. 35 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: You know, these people come and then they stay on 36 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: in the territory. They work. It's really the only place 37 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: that we're getting net migration into the territory at the moment. 38 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 3: So how do we I mean, how do we juggle 39 00:01:58,920 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 3: these caps? 40 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: I know you're about to get on a plane and 41 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: go down there and obviously have a chat to those 42 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: federal poly isn't it. Look the thing that always astonishes 43 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: me I think about decisions that are made out of 44 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: Canberra is that sometimes they don't take into account the 45 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: needs of those that are in regional Australia. 46 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 3: Places like Darwin where we actually we don't. 47 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: Need these caps on university students to the same degree 48 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: as other locations might. 49 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: Look, you're exactly right, I mean completely right. We just 50 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: don't need the cap there we put in place. You know, 51 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: we've spoken about this in the past and exciting initiative 52 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: which we call D squared. It's really up our international 53 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: student numbers. We were doing so well at that, I mean, 54 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 2: going into the beginning of this year, we're noted those 55 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: targets Hound of the Court, and we were doing even 56 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: better than our D squared target. Really, that new building 57 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 2: was all about attracting more international students. Yeah, the whole 58 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: of beneath Loan was predicated on a rapid growth of 59 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 2: international students, and paying back for loan was based on 60 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 2: getting more international students. Now to cut our legs out 61 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: from underneath us. You know, is just mad saying that, 62 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 2: Kadie unfairly confident that they are going to see sense 63 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 2: and they are going to realize that if they want 64 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: to make the Northern Territory a real part of their 65 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: defense capacity strategies and all sorts of strategies, we need 66 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 2: people here and this is a great way. 67 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 3: Of doing it absolutely. 68 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: So let's go back to, you know, to this new 69 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: build for the student accommodation. 70 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: How much is it expected to cost? 71 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: Oh, look, I think the kind of building that we 72 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 2: would be looking as, you know, somewhere maybe as much 73 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: as ninety one hundred million something like that. 74 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: Wow. And is that something that that the university is 75 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: going to funt No, No, we. 76 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: Just haven't got that kind of dough to be honest. 77 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 2: So what we would be looking for is to work 78 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: with a special a specialist provider of student accommodation, and 79 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: there are a number of those around the country and 80 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 2: they normally only build in big capital cities. But this 81 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 2: is where we've got a bit of an advantage over 82 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:31,119 Speaker 2: other regional areas Darwin. Students see Darwin as a capital city. 83 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: That's why we can attract them here. So you know, 84 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: I've been head of International at James Cook University and 85 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 2: ZC at Central Queensland. We have real challenges attracting students 86 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 2: to the lights of Townsville and Rockhampton. We don't have 87 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 2: the same kind of problem here in Darwin. So this 88 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 2: is why I think some of these specialist providers are 89 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 2: quite interested to come into Darwin. 90 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: So what are the timelines around building it. I mean, 91 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: how quickly could you get these running? 92 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: I look, I think the absolute minimum you look in 93 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: at is two years, maybe even a little bit longer. 94 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 2: So it's a fair way out. And the other thing 95 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: is we've built that fantastic building. We don't want to 96 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: put some rubbishy kind of building. It's got to be 97 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: something that will fit the center of the city. 98 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I agree, you know it does need to 99 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: suit what we've got around the city. I guess just 100 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: with that federal cap and you know, on the university 101 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: students or the international university students and them saying that 102 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: in less institutions, build more accommodation. But then us looking 103 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: like it's going to take a few years or it's 104 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: going to be a few years away. Is this anything 105 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: else that we can do in the meantime. 106 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 2: Well, carry on with what we're doing China, squeeze every 107 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: possible bed out of the city for students. And our 108 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 2: study stays program has been really successful. So people in 109 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 2: Darwin have come forward and said, look, we've got this 110 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: Grammy flat with we've got this let that we'd be 111 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 2: happy to let students, even some study stay where students 112 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: are going to live with people. I mean we've managed 113 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 2: to fill you know, a lot of that. So we've 114 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 2: got no students at the moment looking for accommodation, and 115 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 2: we even have a few beds on study stays, but 116 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: a lot of them staying now in places like Palmsan 117 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 2: a long way from the campus, so you know, I 118 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: think they really want to be central. 119 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: Look is it going to be financially feasible for the 120 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: university going down this path as in like working with 121 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: the developer in that way? Will it work out a 122 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: good thing? I guess for the university. 123 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: Oh, look, yes it will. And I think you know 124 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 2: what we'd be looking is to stick in to the 125 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 2: knit in our knitting, which is education. So providing great 126 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 2: degree courses for international students, yes, but not necessarily accommodation. 127 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 2: I mean, leave that to a specialist provider in part 128 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 2: the ship with us. So you know, you build great 129 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 2: accommodation and we will as we're marketing for our international student, 130 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: you know, we will also market the accommodation as well. 131 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. And I guess then just in terms of that deal, 132 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: so is the land gifted to the university, and then 133 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: the university obviously engagees a developer. But then you know, 134 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: like who owns the building. I suppose if the lands 135 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: gift is the land gifted to c to you. 136 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: Look, look this is how I understand it. It's me, 137 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: you know, radiographer. Breathe in and hold it and I'll 138 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: take your chest up today. Look this is how our 139 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 2: I understand it. Was. So the land will be gifted 140 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 2: to us on a long least, so we allow a 141 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: lang lease on the land. We would look for an investor, 142 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: a specialist provider who has experience to do this sort 143 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 2: of thing. They would then put the financial deal together. 144 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 2: We would sublease the land to them. They would then 145 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: engage a builder to build a thing, and then after 146 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 2: a certain period of time and you know, we're perhaps 147 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 2: talking fifty or sixty years, then the building would revert 148 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 2: back to us. 149 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, right, just. 150 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: Been time for us to knock it down and build 151 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: a new one. 152 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: Well, it probably will be. 153 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: No, I'm you know, I'm just trying to work out 154 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: how exactly it works. And I know these are the 155 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: kinds of questions Professor Scott Mohman that our listeners ask, 156 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: some of them with very you know, more commercially minded 157 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: brains than mine. Now, just to sort of recap though, 158 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: you are heading off to Canberrall, was it this afternoon? 159 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: You're heading off to go and knock on the doors 160 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:36,959 Speaker 1: of those police to try and work out these caps. 161 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm on the two thirty flight and I'm meeting 162 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: with the Home Affairs Minister, the Education Minister, the Train 163 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 2: and Minister, the Department of Education. And I'll tell you what, Kadie. 164 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 2: That reassured me because they're all willing to meet with me. 165 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 2: They're not hiding. Yeah, so I think they know the 166 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 2: arguments that we've already put forward have got merit. They 167 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: want to hear about those firsthands. So, you know, good 168 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 2: on them. They are, you know, really you know, listening 169 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 2: to us. And I'm going to also brief just enter 170 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 2: price somewhere we're at with this as well. So yeah, look, 171 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 2: I'm pretty confident, to be honest. 172 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I hope. So it just seems it seems 173 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:23,119 Speaker 1: quite ridiculous to me. You know. They would help, obviously 174 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: through the through the Nafelowan to get our new city 175 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: campus up and running, and then wind up in a 176 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: situation where these caps on international students. We were not 177 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: able to you know, to fill some of those places 178 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: that we know we're able to fill. 179 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's madness and we just need people 180 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 2: in the territory. And what better way that these people 181 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 2: they come from their own countries. They get a degree 182 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 2: in Australia so we can train them in the Australian 183 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: way of doing things. They pay for that, they pay 184 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: good fees. That helps us to run the university and 185 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 2: now to put on things like medice and other great 186 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 2: courses we've got planned soon. And then with those skills 187 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: that they've paid for, they come and then use them 188 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 2: in Darwin and the Northern Territory. I mean, it's such 189 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 2: a good news story. And on the other side of 190 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: the coin, they get a great life. They come to 191 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 2: the greatest country in the world and have a great 192 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 2: life for them and their families. 193 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 3: Well, look, I hope it can get sorted. 194 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: Chances will see to you Vice Chancellor, Professor Scott Bowman. 195 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 3: It's always good to speak with you. Let us know 196 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 3: how you go. 197 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: I'm really keen to find out the outcome of the 198 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: meetings and hopefully some common ground can be found. 199 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 2: Happy to talk to you anytime, Katie 200 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 3: You too, Thanks so much.