Victoria now leads New South Wales in the number of planned beds, though much of this supply remains in the approval phase. Nationally, there are about 6.7 full-time on-campus university students for every PBSA bed. The Australian Capital Territory has the highest provision, with 2.7 students per bed, while Western Australia has the lowest at 9.2.
“With the election behind us, investors in student accommodation are looking at Australia with confidence again,” said Torie Brown (pictured right), executive director at Student Accommodation Council. “A strong wave of new supply is set to go live in the coming years, with the number of student beds estimated to reach 144,300 by 2027.
“With the ability of universities to grow their international student intake now linked to providing accommodation, this strong pipeline should give the university sector confidence that it can partner with the private student accommodation sector.”
According to Brown, the private sector has the scale, expertise and experience to deliver high-quality housing that supports both international and domestic students.
“Supply is largely focused on the traditionally bigger markets on the east coast, though Western Australia is gaining momentum with new supply on the horizon,” she said.