Render of the exterior of the new UQ residences surrounded by leafy trees

Student residence complex, St Lucia campus

UQ is building a second student residence complex at its St Lucia campus, which will provide an additional 1,018 student accommodation places on campus. 

The new complex, scheduled to open for Semester 2 2027, will be operated by UQ Res. 

Located on Walcott Street adjacent to Kev Carmody House, the purpose-built complex will provide UQ students from regional, remote and international destinations with competitively-priced accommodation.

Once completed, UQ students will have access to more than 4,500 purpose-built student accommodation places through UQ-owned accommodation and 10 affiliated residential colleges on our St Lucia campus. 

This page will be updated regularly with information about the project and upcoming works. 

See upcoming works and how we're managing construction impacts below

On campus home for students

The complex is a home away from home for students designed to promote community building, support student wellbeing and provide a positive environment to enhance their university experience. 

Facilities

All rooms will have an ensuite and air conditioning, and students will have access to: 

  • cooking facilities and dining spaces 
  • laundry facilities 
  • shared study spaces 
  • pool, gym and yoga facilities 
  • game and music rooms 
  • landscaped outdoor areas 
  • 24/7 concierge.

Watch a flythrough of the facilities

The complex will have 3 buildings, with a diverse mix of spaces for use by students. The buildings will be 6 to 10 storeys and are sympathetically designed in line with other surrounding accommodation buildings and the natural topography of Walcott Street.  

Managing construction impacts and maintaining safety

UQ acknowledges this is a large construction project and is committed to minimising the disruption to surrounding neighbours.  

A construction management plan is in place to ensure compliance with environmental and safety obligations, and will minimise noise, dust and other disruptions where possible.    

A traffic management plan is in place to manage the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians in the area, as well as parking along Walcott Street and Coldridge Street.  

During construction, Walcott Street will remain open with a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit. 

Traffic controllers will be used as required to manage the movement of trucks and heavy machinery in and out of the site and occasional contra-flows. Signage will be in place to direct local traffic and pedestrians.  

There will be some impacts to parking on Walcott and Coldridge Street. These will be clearly signposted. 

All works will be conducted in line with Brisbane City Council (BCC) guidelines. Where possible, this will Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 6.30pm. Saturday work will only be as required.

Upcoming works

Trenching works on Walcott Street – 23 September to November 2024

  • Stage 1 of the trenching work along Walcott Street to facilitate underground electricity cables is complete. 
  • Stage 2 is in progress and due to be finished in November.

Parking on Walcott Street will be impacted in stages. Signage will be in place to indicate where parking is not permitted.

Aerial map view of St Lucia campus, showing a solid line illustrating stage 1 works on Walcott Street and a broken line for stage 2 works
Map view of the early works on Walcott Street

Site establishment and early ground works – October to November 2024

Secure fencing will be installed around the site perimeter and site offices. There will also be some early grounds works and removal of minor structures. 

Approved tree removal works will be carried out on the site under the advice and guidance of an external arboriculturist and in accordance with Brisbane City Council’s Natural Assets Local Law 2003 permit.

A thorough inspection for wildlife habitation, such as nests and tree hollows, will be undertaken by a qualified fauna expert prior to vegetation removal.

To offset the removal of trees from the site, the University will plant 28 native trees on campus and on project completion, the student residence will be landscaped with native flora.

A small parking area off Coldridge Street will remain closed throughout construction. 

As the project progresses, some additional parking bays along Walcott Street and Coldridge Street will be closed. Signage will be in place to indicate where parking is not permitted.

Civil works – November 2024 to March 2025 

This will involve the removal of the top layer of soil, which includes waste materials and low-level contaminants.

An environmental consultant will be on site to ensure waste is dealt with in accordance with legislation. Asbestos removal will be carried out by licensed professionals in line with relevant legislation. PPE will be worn by workers on site.

This period will also see piling machines working on site as part of the building’s foundation and ground retention works. There will be intermittent drilling and rock breaking during this time. This will see an increase in noise and dust and possible vibration in the area, which will be managed in line with regulation.

Contact

For enquiries about these planned works, email SRP2@uq.edu.au.

Artist impressions of the new student residences

Artistic render of student residences bedroom with large windows, double bed and wooden desk
Artistic render of a games room featuring a table tennis table surrounded by bench seating and students in the new UQ residences
Artistic render of the student residences kitchen featuring wood panelling, indoor gardens and communal tables