While land use in and around the Crawley campus is dominated by teaching, learning and research, the University recognises it is a significant part of the greater Crawley community and business area.

The discussion on campus land use has been divided into two broad areas - teaching, learning and research and non-traditional uses.

Teaching, learning and research

1. Principles
2. Recommendations

The University’s current Strategic Plan articulates a vision, which includes the following defining characteristics:

• High quality, as the pervading criterion for all our activities.
• Comprehensive, with a broad teaching and research profile in the arts, sciences, and professions.
• Selective, within a comprehensive base, to develop particular areas of research strength and emphasis.
• Research-intensive, with a strong teaching and research nexus across all our disciplines.
• Internationally focussed, for both the content and standards of our activities.
• Technologically innovative, to maximise our flexibility.
• Responsive, to meet the needs of the community, our students and our graduates.

The Operational Priorities Plan 2009-2013 states that The University will continue to support a strategy of seeking and achieving funded growth, commensurate with the University's comprehensive teaching and research character and with a continued commitment to quality.  It articulates an enrolment target of approximately 25,000 students by 2020 with an appropriate course type mix though this student number may be reached earlier.

The physical location of faculties on campus has generally followed Gordon Stephenson’s principle of ‘locating like departments and facilities in functional groups’ established in 1954. The decision in 2009 to move towards a new course structure (New Courses 2012) of core undergraduate degrees will have an impact on the grouping of activities on campus.

The Campus Plan 2010 is addressing future growth through analysing the maximum growth scenarios for the campus. 

Research activity and strategic areas

Research activity has increased dramatically since 2000 with numerous research centres established at the University. These include the 2010 opening of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. Funding for research has increased significantly, in line with the University’s move towards a more research intensive split with teaching.  There have also been increased partnerships and collaborations between the University and government, industry, and other institutions. Increased funding has also come through the Western Australian Government, with research facilities such as the Western Australian Marine Science Institute (WAMSI), and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) at QEII and Fiona Stanley Hospital underway. The University has determined six strategic research areas, and several emerging and seed priorities to provide focus and direction.

The strategic areas are:

• plants, animals, agriculture and environment, including management of natural and agricultural systems;
• exploration, production and utilisation of minerals, oil and gas;
• fundamental biomedical and translational approaches to health;
• indigenous knowledge;
• bio-engineering and bio-imaging; and
• neurosciences, including psychology.

Organisations in partnership with the University currently occupy 3.5 per cent of all campus building space.  The University often places staff on other institutions’ sites such as CSIRO at Floreat.  It is expected that further research partnerships will see additional staff and researchers located on UWA land over the coming decade as research becomes more collaborative.

There is an increased demand for temporary accommodation or pre-built flexibly serviced workspace, into which the University can immediately house researchers on appointment while specific construction projects are completed for more permanent housing.  There is potential for dedicated research hubs and sites will be required for business incubators to transfer research to industry.

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Principles

1. Maintain Crawley Campus for core teaching, research activities, locate land-intensive research and community activities on other sites.
2. Co-locate complementary activities in appropriate facilities. 
3. Provide maximum flexibility in new buildings to allow for growth and changes in activity requirements.
4. Provide sufficient land to establish a high quality teaching, learning, research and community engagement environment.
5. Consider the development of buildings that reflect a more cross-disciplinary approach in teaching and research.

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Recommendations

• Work towards grouping centres with common needs together to facilitate better resource sharing, such as libraries.
• Align campus and accommodation planning with the University’s strategic goals, review current space standards and building layouts in the light of changing technology/learning methodology and establish accurate student space standards for each discipline.
• Ensure the efficient use of existing accommodation and the timely provision of future accommodation.
• Extend the academic timetable to increase the utilisation of teaching facilities.
• Upgrade existing teaching infrastructure.
• Re-locate activities that do not directly enhance the University experience to an off campus location.

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The discussion on campus land use has been divided into two broad areas - teaching, learning and research and non-traditional uses.