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A STUDY OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT
OF NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY
(AND ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS)
ON FREMANTLE
for
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA,
PHOENIX ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACADEMY,
THE CITY OF FREMANTLE
FINAL REPORT
Helen Grzyb and Associates
Helen Grzyb
Amy Lomas
Economic Consulting Services
Murray Meaton
MAY 2002
University of Notre Dame (and associated organisations)
Social and Economic Impact Study
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................3
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................10
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ...................................................................................12
The West End .......................................................................................................12
The proposal to establish UNDA .........................................................................12
Economic impacts for the West End ....................................................................14
International Dimension ......................................................................................16
The intended social and economic benefits from UNDA’s presence in the West
End .......................................................................................................................17
SURVEY PROCESS AND BROAD RESULTS ....................................................................18
Student Survey - Analysis .....................................................................................18
Student Survey - Findings ...................................................................................19
Staff Survey - Analysis..........................................................................................19
Staff Survey - Findings........................................................................................21
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT ...........................................................................22
Changed demand for community services ...........................................................22
Changed demand for transport and parking .......................................................22
Safety issues .........................................................................................................24
Impact on housing demand ..................................................................................24
Volunteer services by students.............................................................................25
Change to traditional use and status of buildings ...............................................26
Impact on entertainment venues ..........................................................................30
Projected spending patterns of students..............................................................30
Impact of a transitional student population.........................................................30
Effect of multicultural student body.....................................................................31
Changes to the nature of West End workforce.....................................................33
Property Sales ......................................................................................................36
Property Values....................................................................................................38
Extent of impact on beauty/heritage value of area ..............................................39
Extent of impact of use of the University by outside bodies ................................39
KEY INFORMATION ...................................................................................................42
CONCLUSIONS ...........................................................................................................59
Attachment 1 Tender Brief
Attachment 2……Members of the Steering Committee
Attachment 3……People who contributed to the study
Attachment 4……Bibliography
Attachment 5……Student Survey Form
Attachment 6……Staff Survey Form
Attachment 7……Student Survey Results
Attachment 8……Student Survey Results
Attachment 9……Conference Snapshot
Attachment 10…..UNDA purchase and building costs
Attachment 11…..Map of the UNDA Campus
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Helen Grzyb and Associates in association with Economics Consulting Services 2
May 2002
University of Notre Dame (and associated organisations)
Social and Economic Impact Study
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Executive Summary
The West End of Fremantle is an historic precinct with a rich and colourful history,
including early days in the West Australian settlement, a key transport centre for the
State, and during the 1980’s the excitement of the America’s Cup yacht race. In the
late eighties property ownership in The West End was largely characterised by
absentee landowners and high vacancy rates, resulting in much of the historical
building stock of the area falling into disrepair. As the proportion of buildings and
activities in the West End related to the functions of Port continued to decline, the
University of Notre Dame Australia became a key land user in the West End in 1991.
Subsequent to its past ten years of location in the West End, UNDA has developed a
10-year strategic plan to 2010 which projects a continued expansion in the number of
domestic and international students as well as the physical size of the university. The
current size of UNDA makes it a significant property owner in the West End of
Fremantle and any expansion would increase that property holding.
In 2001, the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA), Phoenix English Language
Academy (PELA) and the City of Fremantle combined to seek advice on the current
and future economic and social impact of Notre Dame University (and associated
organisations) on Fremantle. In November 2001, the combined partners appointed
Helen Grzyb and Associates in association with Economic Consulting Services to
undertake a study. A steering committee comprising representatives of each of the
partner organisations guided the study.
The consultants undertook a literature review and also various stakeholder
interactions seeking information and views to the study. A focus group was held with
exiting international students, questionnaires were undertaken with both students and
staff at UNDA. Key stakeholders met with the consultants.
The data identified in the study comprises that supplied by the three main
organisations, by staff and students of UNDA, or available through other external
sources. As with most studies of this nature many of the social aspects of the study
could not be quantified and in some instances data either did not exist at the time or
had not been recorded. It is therefore expected that statistical and financial results of
the study reflect conservative estimates.
Study findings
This study report determines not only the past and current economic and social
impacts but also the impact that the planned UNDA expansion will have. The
expected economic benefits have not been fully realised to date, as have the social
benefits. The community concerns which were raised at the time of UNDA’s
establishment, to some extent, remain. The following paragraphs provide more
detailed findings from the study.
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Students
The addition of 2230 students to the West End is viewed as having increased the
richness and diversity of the social fabric of the area. The impact of the student
population on Fremantle would be far greater if a larger proportion of students lived
within Fremantle.
At present, the majority of students live outside Fremantle. All student-specific
accommodation (ie home stay or boarding) located in Fremantle and the West End of
Fremantle is currently provided or administered by UNDA or PELA
Fremantle based students spend a greater proportion of their income in Fremantle
across all the spending ranges and are more likely to be involved in community and
volunteer projects. These students are also more likely to use the local community
services.
The non-resident student population spends a limited amount of time in Fremantle,
and less of their total income. These students are also most likely to use the library
and Transperth transport services.
Both resident and non resident students identified a number of services and products
that are unavailable in the West End.
Staff
According to the responses of staff who participated in the study, most of the staff
who are employed at UNDA live outside of Fremantle and thus commute daily to the
West End. These staff park their cars within UNDA parking bays, and subsequently
place little pressure on parking bays provided by the City.
However, a number of staff members live in Fremantle, or have moved to the West
End as a result of their employment. Staff prefer to purchase their daily needs within
the West End, close to campus, and note that there are a number of products and
services which are unavailable in the West End.
Involvement in the community aspects of Fremantle life is varied amongst staff
members, as is the use of community services.
International Education
International students attending either UNDA or PELA currently inject $14.6M to the
economy and with increased numbers in 2010, this will increase to $31.9M.
However, not all this has a direct impact on the Fremantle economy as the potential
spending by international students living outside Fremantle on items other than
tuition fees is being lost from (ie a leakage) the Fremantle economy.
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The absence of a range of commercial activities specifically designed to capture the
international student dollar in the West End and Fremantle further compound this
leakage.
The total potential student spending is being leaked to areas outside of Fremantle is
estimated to be approximately $4.1M per annum.
UNDA’s profile in the West End
While UNDA’s physical presence in the West End is approximately 10-15% of the
built area, stakeholders view UNDA as dominating that area. How UNDA can be
seen as dominating the West End relates to some extent to its physical profile. M ore
importantly, original community concerns remaining unresolved: urban myths, issues
that are personality driven, a lack of understanding of UNDA’s community based
work, amongst a number of other factors. Past and current communication and
information processes between UNDA and the local community have resulted in less
than positive community views.
These factors have clearly influenced stakeholders towards expressing concern
about expansion, despite at the same time confirming that the establishment of
UNDA in the West End has had positive impacts, particularly in relation to the
restoration of heritage buildings.
Property Values
Property sale data is notoriously difficult to interpret in commercial areas with a wide
divergence in capital improvements. However, on the basis of property sales since
1988, there is no meaningful evidence to believe that the area around UNDA has
seen any different pattern of price movement than similar commercial areas in the
Fremantle business area. The property sales pattern in terms of both sale numbers
and sale values has followed a similar pattern to the rest of the commercial area.
This suggests wider economic forces at work than local impacts.
Numbers of visitors to the West End
Conferences, Seminar/Lectures, Social Functions and Graduations attracted 7490
people to the UNDA campus in the West End of Fremantle. Many of these people,
while primarily visiting the area on UNDA or PELA business, have additionally
impacted on the local economy by patronising local entertainment venues.
Potential future impacts
It is estimated that by 2010, UNDA will service approximately 4000 students (of
which 25% will be international students) and employ 571 staff. To accommodate the
increase in the numbers of people working and studying on the campus it is expected
that UNDA will need to undertake further capital investment, however this would be
of a much smaller scale than anything noted to date.
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Social and Economic Impact Study
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UNDA in its current form occupies a substantial area and therefore has the capacity
to increase the efficiency of this area to accommodate some of the expected growth.
It is anticipated that the following will need to occur to achieve growth targets:
• Increase student accommodation levels by 250 beds (100 of these by the end
of 2002)
• Redevelop land currently owned by UNDA (e.g. Croke Street Carpark)
• Convert warehouse space to classrooms (ND21)
• Restore and convert the Cleopatra Hotel
• Purchase new buildings in the West End
• Establish a School of Medicine and a School of Physiotherapy
Projections of student numbers and their spending show some of the economic
impacts of UNDA’s planned expansion.
Current (2001) Projected (2010)
Total number students 2213 4000
Total number of staff 313 571
Total spending per week $227,930.40 $412,949.80
In addition, UNDA’s costs positively correlated with increases in student and staff
numbers could be expected to increase proportionally.
By 2010, based upon the estimates above, expected UNDA expenditure per annum
on goods and services available locally would be $1,033,586. Maintenance costs, at
a conservative estimate, may be around $200,000 per annum. In total, UNDA
expenditure on local goods and services in 2010, based on current conditions and
trends, could be expected to be at least $1,263,586 for that year.
With the projected increase in UNDA student and staff population, there will be an
increase in:
• Demand for UNDA physical resources. UNDA’s plan is for minimal
increased land area use, but for increased volume on current land areas.
• Demand for housing (for reasonably priced and fair quality student
accommodation as well as for residential housing)
• Demand for parking and transport (and payment of parking fees)
• Demand for community services (eg the City of Fremantle Library)
• Purchases of goods and services from local businesses, more particularly if
there is an increased proportion of staff and students living in Fremantle
With these further changes in the West End, existing concerns regarding the risk of
establishing a monoculture in the area are unlikely to diminish. This will be subject to
improvements in communication and co-operation between UNDA and its local
community.
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Social and Economic Impact Study
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Conclusions
Through spending directed towards local businesses, UNDA has made a positive
economic impact on the Fremantle business community, and this is likely to increase
with the planned expansion in student numbers, particularly that of international
students, towards the year 2010.
The presence of UNDA has attracted other business to the West End. The Phoenix
English Language Academy, has partnered UNDA to form Notre Dame International,
and has purchased and upgraded the Orient Hotel and maintained its license.
The study found that the greatest social and economic impact in the West End was
from UNDA staff and students who live in the Fremantle area.
The majority of the staff and students live outside the Fremantle area. There is
consequently a leakage of spending to other areas. Increasing the availability of
student accommodation could reverse this, as could more goods and services being
provided in the West End. Initiatives by the City to assist in providing for this future
need will have a direct economic impact on the West End.
Over the last ten years, the establishment of the UNDA campus has had a significant
and valuable impact on the retention and restoration of heritage properties in the
West End.
Trends in property values in the West End reflected those in the greater Fremantle
area. There was no evidence to suggest that UNDA has had any impact on property
values, nor that its impact on the West End was comparable to that of a
“monoculture”.
A young and multicultural student body has positively impacted the social fabric of
the West End.
The study heard that there needed to be a more open and cooperative approach by
UNDA in communicating with its local community.
Overall, there are current and potential economic benefits resulting from UNDA’s
location in the West End and its future plans for expansion, subject to greater
availability of student accommodation. In the short and longer term, further initiatives
are required to achieve comparable social benefits for all members of the West End
business and general community.
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University of Notre Dame (and associated organisations)
Social and Economic Impact Study
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The consultants would like to thank the staff of each of the partnering organisations –
UNDA, the City of Fremantle, and the Phoenix English Language Academy, in
providing a host of information to the study. The helpful and co-operative nature of
the working relationship with each of these bodies has produced a wide ranging and
comprehensive set of data relating to the West End.
ABBREVIATIONS
University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA)
Phoenix English Language Academy (PELA)
Notre Dame International (NDI) - the administering body for international students
attending UNDA. A partnership between PELA and UNDA.
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Scope of the economic and social study
The University of Notre Dame, Phoenix English Language Academy and the
City of Fremantle, combined to seek advice on the economic and social
impact of Notre Dame University (and associated organisations) on
Fremantle.
The general objectives of the study were:
• to assess the past and current economic and social impact that UNDA has
on Fremantle with significant focus on the West End and central business
district. The social impact is an important part of this assessment and
should be quantifiable wherever possible;
• to determine the economic impact on local businesses through the
spending by international and local UNDA/PELA students;
• to determine, based on the current impact, what the projected short
medium and long term economic and social impact will be based on the
Notre Dame Strategic Plan and other available data.
The University has recently produced a 10-year strategic plan which projects
continued expansion in the number of domestic and international students as
well as the physical size of UNDA. The current size of UNDA makes it a
significant property owner in the West End of Fremantle and any expansion
would increase that property holding. It was felt that it is necessary to
determine not only the past and current economic and social impact but also
the impact that the planned expansion will have. It was necessary for the
report to make projections on what would have happened in the West End of
Fremantle should UNDA not have located there in 1991.
A range of more detailed areas were also to be expanded on in the study.
A copy of the full project brief is at Attachment 1.
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Methodology
Helen Grzyb and Associates in association with Economics Consulting
Services undertook the study during the period November 2001 to April 2002.
The following process was developed to ensure that the outcomes from the
study met the needs of the proponent stakeholders:
• Confirmation of scope of work with the study proponents
• Development of work plan outlining tasks, timeframes, reporting
mechanisms and required resources
• Develop liaison strategies
• Review of documentation
• Collection and analysis of data
• Stakeholder consultations. The consultation process was:
• development of a consultation strategy included stakeholder
identification and prioritisation by the steering committee
• developing questionnaires for both staff and students at UNDA
• holding a focus group with students
• briefing for the members of the West End Think Tank
• meeting with key stakeholders and utilising a semi structured phone or
face to face interview process to gain their input
• Reporting and presentation. Draft and final reports prepared.
A steering committee was set up to guide the project. The committee
comprised representatives of each of the study proponents, and met four
times during the course of the study. A list identifying the members of the
steering committee is at Attachment 2.
An important contribution was made to the study by the study proponents,
who worked closely with and supported the consultants through provision of a
range of information and data.
During the course of the study a review of literature was undertaken.
Literature was sourced from the City of Fremantle, the University of Notre
Dame and Phoenix English Language Academy, the City of Fremantle library,
Notre Dame University Library and from the Internet. Media reports were also
sourced from newspaper archives.
The literature review provides context to the data sourced for the study both in
terms of examining the historical information available on UNDA and its
location in Fremantle, looking outside of the immediate study area to more
broader studies in this subject area, and to ascertain a variety of perspectives
on UNDA’s impacts on the City. The review is by no means exhaustive.
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Information gathered from Interviews with key stakeholders was used to add
breadth and context to the statistical data obtained. This information was
supplied by stakeholders based on the understanding that the opinions,
experiences and views supplied would be treated confidentially. Much of this
information provided insight into both the perceived and actual social impacts
of UNDA. A list of the stakeholders who participated in the study is supplied
(see attachment 3).
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Background to the study
The West End
The West End of Fremantle is an historic precinct with a rich and colourful
history, including the earliest days in the Perth settlement, operating as a key
transport centre for the State, and during the 1980’s the excitement of the
America’s Cup yacht race. More recent history has seen the establishment of
UNDA of Notre Dame Australia in the West End in 1991.
The West End experienced a decline in economic activity following the social
and economic impacts of the America’s Cup. With the Cup, restoration work
had been undertaken on buildings, there was an enormous increase in the
flow of money in and around Fremantle and an associated increase in
international and corporate personalities and interest. Portions of the
traditional West End community were displaced to house the significant
numbers of people living or visiting Fremantle for the Cup. Gentrification of the
West End began in earnest.
Concurrently, the effects of the rationalisation of the Fremantle Port and the
move into containerisation was having an effect on the traditional West End
economy. From its inception in the early 1800’s, the West End has been host
to maritime industry, with many businesses strategically located in the West
End to service and support the State’s key maritime centre and its workers.
The proposal to establish UNDA
Since the initial proposal to locate UNDA in the West End of Fremantle, much
debate has arisen over the likely social, physical and economic impacts of
UNDA on the City. Media coverage by The Fremantle Gazette, The Daily
News and The West Australian prior to the construction of UNDA reveals an
array of opinions in relation to potential impacts. These opinions include those
expressed by representatives of Notre Dame Australia, the City of Fremantle,
the local community and the then Labour Government.
Collectively the media coverage indicates a consensus that the location of
UNDA within Fremantle would bring economic benefits. However the issues
that appeared to have caused the greatest concern centred around a
perceived level of secrecy and thus poor community consultation and
information dispersal, and the fear that UNDA would create a change in the
social fabric of the City that would be unfavourable.
A submission by the Fremantle Society (FCC Archives; 1989) listed some of
these perceived social problems as being:
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• Loss of diversity
• Increased traffic and parking problems, and
• Effects of a transient population
Other social concerns raised in the media included:
• The existence of potentially powerful religious interest group in the
processes of decision making and development within the City
• The impact of the purchase of large areas of the West End (and at that
time other parts of Fremantle) on the value of real estate and the
availability of affordable rental accommodation and housing
• The perceived support of ‘facadism’ by UNDA and the subsequent loss
of built heritage for which some members of the community expressed
a strong sense of collective ownership and social value
• The loss of street activity and civic life arising from the
pedestrianisation of streets within the West End
• The impact of a large student population utilising the City library
“squeezing out” the general community
• The possibility of reduced community interaction with the buildings in
the West End and the civic spaces between them
The preliminary study into the likely social and physical outcomes of the
placement of UNDA in Fremantle by the Centre for Urban Research examines
the proposed University plans within the context of the issues of concern, at
the time.
It concludes that significant physical impact would occur; resulting in social
ramifications should UNDA:
• Be perceived to have “…priority of use over any spaces within the
West End which are currently understood to be accessible to the
public.”
• Interfere with the architectural and urban coherence of the West End
• Modify streets and traffic flow
• “Self-consciously” …attempt to reproduce forms and details of existing
Fremantle buildings.”
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• Undertake strongly tourist-oriented commercial ventures at the
expense of existing businesses including those, which could be
perceived as incompatible with UNDA
• Fail to maintain and restore heritage-building stock in the West End
• Maintain exclusive University access to recreational facilities
• Fail to provide passive recreational spaces for students
• Fail to take into account the likely impacts on parking in the West End
• Reduce the expected impact on the demand for housing and
accommodation by students
Economic impacts for the West End
The Economic impacts of UNDA, predicted in the study undertaken by the
Centre for Urban Research, focussed on the impacts at the point at which
UNDA would be fully operational – beyond 2001.
For the Fremantle area $27.2M was the estimate for output stimulus
attributable to UNDA (annual budget, student expenditure in addition to fees,
and visitor spending occurring because of UNDA’s existence), while new
income was estimated to be $16.3M. The report also predicted that UNDA
would provide 411 new jobs to the City of Fremantle.
The study suggested that the location of UNDA in Fremantle would lead to
“…a significant boost to the level of business activity in the area…”, including
opportunities for new businesses to be established in the service sector.
The views of the aforementioned study are reflected in the report produced by
the Fremantle City Council, Evaluation of Notre Dame Australia Draft
Development Plan. This report details strategies to assist overcome some of
the perceived problems.
In addition to the points raised by the Centre for Urban Research the report
notes that:
• The private rental market in Fremantle at the time was experiencing
pressure for a variety of reasons. These included an overall increase in
demand for housing in the area due to increased desirability of
Fremantle, a ’movement’ towards restoration and renovation of
housing, increase in strata titling of flats, upgrading of some areas in
Fremantle and the conversion of terrace houses to family use
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• UNDA would increase the diversity of economic activity in the
Fremantle area, as well as utilise some of the vacant and under-utilised
buildings in the West End and thus increase the concentration of
economic activity within the City as well
• Little effect is likely to occur on existing enterprises
• Demand growth will occur
• The market will distort due to the dominance of UNDA in the West End
• UNDA’s placement in the West End will lead to increased Council
expenditure “associated with the capital maintenance and
redevelopment” of facilities, however increased parking revenue will
counteract these costs.
• That UNDA should pay rates or alternatively an arrangement be
reached to recover the cost of a reduced rate base attributable to
UNDA.
Concerns about the West End and UNDA’s impact remain. However concerns
have become more broad ranging.
In June 2001 a Think Tank was formed to make recommendations for the
revitalisation of the West End of Fremantle. The Think Tank comprised
representatives from a number of interests throughout the West End including
Notre Dame University, the Fremantle Port Authority, the City of Fremantle
and the Maritime Museum.
The Think Tank examined eight key areas comprising:
• West End Planning Policy
• High Street Issues
• Streetscape/ Beautification
• Traffic and Pedestrian Flow
• Parking
• Tourism Activity
• Structure/Building Improvements
• Long Term Economic Development
The outcomes resulting from the Think Tank will have implications for the
entire West End, including UNDA and PELA.
The Think Tank report states that in terms of education in the West End,
people want:
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• Integration with business, commercial and retail activity
• Fremantle to be used as an active campus
• The West End to be used as a resource by Educational programs
• Dispersion amongst the West End (avoid concentration of activities)
International Dimension
The enrolment of International and Study Abroad students at UNDA is an
important aspect of both economic and social impacts.
A number of studies have been undertaken to determine the economic and
social impacts of the overseas students, however the ability to accurately
determine the net benefit or costs of overseas students appears to be limited.
The 1997 Survey of International Students Studying in Australia notes that the
average weekly amount spent by international students in 1997 was $600.
Within Western Australia alone expenditure estimated by overseas students
was $448M in 1997.According to the survey higher education expenditure
contributes the greatest inflow of funds compared to vocational education,
ELICOS and school.
Baker, Creedy and Johnson (1996) point out that the internationalisation of
the higher education sector has social, cultural, political and economic
dimensions. With these aspects in mind the authors examine the questions of
‘who benefits?’ and ‘who pays?’ in relation to the international education
trade. Referring to case studies and other research the suggestion is that
overseas students offer positive economic benefits as well as help to improve
the quality of education in general, increase trade opportunities and
engagement with the international community.
Analysis of the costs and benefits of overseas students to institutions and
community/society are summarised as follows (Baker, Creedy and Johnson,
1996:
Benefits Fees
Economies of scope and scale
Development of advantageous linkages
Costs Administrative costs
Job losses due to the possible displacement of domestic
workers
Congestion costs
Opportunity costs
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More detailed discussion regarding specific impacts of International Education
on the West End is contained later in this report.
The intended social and economic benefits from UNDA’s presence in the
West End
Given the generally depressed nature of the economy in the West End
following the Americas Cup, the studies undertaken on the impact of UNDA
indicated a positive net impact in economic terms. The inclusion of overseas
students improved this outcome.
However, the social implications of UNDA’s presence appeared to have been
as much of a consideration of the research, the community and the media at
this time, as the economic considerations. The literature on these issues
suggests that the location of UNDA in Fremantle be managed to limit negative
social ramifications on the fabric of the community, and in doing so achieve
net economic and social benefits.
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Survey process and broad results
Two surveys were key information points for the study. UNDA students, as
well as UNDA and NDI staff were surveyed during the course of the study.
While the student survey was a large enough sample to provide good
predictors of the general student population, the staff survey was limited in its
representative capacity, and thus caution needs to be taken in applying the
staff results to the general staff population.
Full results of both student and staff surveys can been seen in Attachment 7
and 8.
Student Survey - Analysis
The results of the student survey reveal a number of important points about
the student population at UNDA and their interactions with the community and
business life in Fremantle.
Almost 80 % of the students who completed the questionnaire were living at
home with their families prior to the commencement of their studies, while
almost 70 % of the students were commencing their first semester at UNDA.
The greatest proportion (almost 35%) of students relied solely upon their
families for income.
The student population can be seen to have a limited spending capacity
based upon the assumption that students who are living at home with their
families and who are relying on family/parental support, have chosen to do so
for financial reasons.
Only a small portion of the students who completed the questionnaire either
lived in Fremantle or had moved to Fremantle since commencing their studies
at UNDA, yet students residing within Fremantle spend the largest proportion
of their income in Fremantle across all the spending ranges, except the
highest (between $630 – $699 per week).
Students who live in Fremantle are the most involved in community activities
and utilise the community services available to them more than students living
outside of Fremantle. Overall student involvement in volunteer activities and
community events is very small, with only 8.8 % of students citing any
involvement.
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Based on these results, it would appear that the economic impact and social
contributions made by a student is strongly correlated with whether that
student resides within the City of Fremantle. With the small number of
students living within Fremantle, the economic and social impact of the
student population is limited.
This limited impact is reflected in the hours students spend in Fremantle. The
largest proportion of students who responded to the questionnaire spent
between 20 and 39 hours in Fremantle in a week, while overall the majority of
students spent no more than 59 hours in Fremantle during a week. This
reflects the low numbers of UNDA students living within the City.
Over the weekends almost 40% of students typically spend no time in
Fremantle, while only 7% spend their whole weekend in Fremantle. The
remaining responses indicated that a number of students do spend selected
time in Fremantle over the weekend.
Student Survey - Findings
Based on the responses provide by students who responded to the student
questionnaire, the economic and social impact of students is greatest when
they live within the City of Fremantle. These students spend a greater
proportion of their income in Fremantle across all the spending ranges and
are more likely to be involved in community and volunteer projects. These
students are also more likely to use the local community services.
The non-resident student population spends a limited amount of time in
Fremantle, and less of their total income. These students are most likely to
use the library and Transperth transport services.
It could then be concluded that the impact of the student population on
Fremantle is far less than what it would be if a greater number of students
lived within Fremantle.
Staff Survey - Analysis
The profile of staff that responded to the questionnaire diverges considerably
from the profile of staff employment figures supplied by UNDA for semester
one, 2002. Results derived from the staff questionnaires are therefore not an
exact guide to the habits of staff at UNDA, particularly when considering the
absence of PELA staff in the response profile, and casual/sessional staff.
However, the weekly working hours supplied by part time and fractional staff
reveals a vast array of working hours and starts per week. Attempting to apply
accurate figures of spending and behaviour to this cohort is therefore difficult.
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In this respect the large number of full time staff respondents could be said to
provide accurate and fairly reliable base-line data on staff spending and
behaviour within Fremantle. This is further assisted by the large number of
staff respondents who mostly work all their hours on campus.
Staff data supplied by UNDA reveals that a total of 13.74% of staff live in the
Fremantle area., while 20% of those staff who responded to the questionnaire
were living in Fremantle, 9% of which had moved since becoming employed
at UNDA. This suggests that UNDA has a role to play in drawing new
residents to Fremantle as well as providing employment to already existing
residents.
For the majority of staff respondents employed at UNDA the private car is the
primary method of transport to work, of which most are parked in university
parking bays. This would suggest firstly that staff generously utilise the
available parking at UNDA, and contribute parking revenue mostly to UNDA,
rather than the City.
UNDA staff contribute approximately $131 on average per week to Fremantle
businesses for everyday purchases. 73% of this spending is directed towards
the purchase of goods and services required on a daily basis that are located
in the West End.
In addition to this the purchase of more specialised goods and services,
unlikely to occur on a daily basis, contributes approximately $52 per week to
Fremantle businesses. A fair number of these are purchased in the West End.
Staff also spend an average of only $7 per week on campus on light meals
while at work, compared with an average of $22 per week in the West End.
The average for other areas of Fremantle is $12.
While there is no benchmark against which these figures can be compared,
they do indicate that staff will patronise West End businesses in preference to
businesses in other parts of Fremantle. When considered in the context of
those products and services described as difficult to access in Fremantle, it
appears that staff would spend more in the West End were there a greater
variety of services available to meet their needs.
Outside of working hours, staff involvement in Fremantle activities is less.
73% of staff purchase a meal outside of working hours “occasionally” or
“hardly at all”. However when this does occur, meals purchased outside of
working hours contribute an average per staff member of $84.55 per meal.
Staff are also moderate users of community services in Fremantle with 33% of
staff not using any at all. Those staff that do use community services use the
library and CAT bus most, while the leisure centre and Tourist Information
Bureau are used equally by 12% of staff.
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Staff are involved in community events in Fremantle in a variety of ways. 50%
of staff were spectators at the last community event in Fremantle which they
attended in the last year, while 22% did not attend a community event at all.
5% of staff were organisers at the event. Similarly staff also attended a range
of Fremantle’s festivals and community exhibition venues.
Staff Survey - Findings
According to the responses of staff who participated in the survey, most of the
staff who are employed at UNDA live outside of Fremantle and thus commute
daily to the West End. These staff also park their cars within UNDA parking
bays, and subsequently place little pressure on parking bays provided by the
City. Subsequently little revenue would be received by the City in the form of
staff parking expenditure.
Staff prefer to purchase their daily needs within the West End, close to
campus, and note that there are a number of products and services which are
unavailable in the West End.
Involvement in the community aspects of Fremantle life is varied amongst
staff members, as is the use of community services.
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Social and economic snapshot
The social and economic snapshot covers a range of key issues and has
been framed within the context of the specific study requirements. A
significant result of the student and staff surveys was the low percentage of
students who live in Fremantle and the significant number of staff who already
live in or have moved to Fremantle as a result of their employment.
Those staff and students who live in Fremantle have a significant impact on
the social and economic fabric of the City. With increased UNDA enrolment
numbers in the future, and particularly with increased students and staff living
in the City, these impacts will increase in the future.
Changed demand for community services
Like students, staff are moderate users of community services in Fremantle
with 33% of staff not using any at all. Staff that do use community services
mostly use the library and CAT bus, while the leisure centre and Tourist
Information Bureau are used equally by 12% of staff.
Students who live in Fremantle (a small proportion) are the most involved in
community activities and utilise the community services available to them
more than students living outside of Fremantle.
Such students would be contributing to the cost of community services
through rates paid by the owner of the property where they reside. While
UNDA does not contribute rates to the City of Fremantle (due to its status as
an educational institution), the value of foregone rates is estimated to be
$200,000. The study was unable to quantify UNDA’s use of community
services.
Changed demand for transport and parking
For the majority of staff respondents employed at UNDA, the private car is the
primary method of transport to work, of which most are parked in university
parking bays. This would suggest firstly that staff generously utilise the
available parking at UNDA, and contribute parking revenue mostly to UNDA,
rather than the City.
Parking available within the West End of Fremantle comprises a total of 1336
parking bays available for private vehicles including:
• 6 off street car parks forming 887 car bays (30 bays are for long term
parking only)
• On street parking comprising 499 bays.
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Figures for the revenue collected by the City for these bays was obtained for
the period July 2001 to March 2002. These are plotted in the figure below.
Figure 1: West End Parking Revenue 2001/2002
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000 On Street
40000 Off street
30000
20000
10000
0
CH
LY
ST
Y
R
R
R
R
RY
AR
BE
BE
BE
JU
BE
GU
AR
UA
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M
EM
M
AU
CE
BR
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OC
JA
PT
FE
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NO
SE
Month
Parking revenue collected for both on-street parking and off-street (car parks)
have different short-term trends. Off-street parking revenue appears to peak
in September and January and is generally higher that on-street parking
revenue during this period. On-street parking revenue appears to have two
notable periods of decline, in October and December.
UNDA experienced changes in levels of activity at mid semester break in
October 2001, and after the end of semester 2, in December 2001. In 2002
UNDA did not commence normal academic activities until the 18th February.
The decline in on-street parking revenue in the months of October and
December could tentatively be interpreted as reflecting the decline in student
activities arising from breaks in the academic calendar. In this respect
students and other users of UNDA could be viewed as significant consumers
of parking in the West End. These two instances of declining revenue account
for drops in a month of $24,550 and $32,437 respectively.
This conclusion should be viewed with caution as it is based on data over a
short time period and does not take into account comparisons of months in
previous years, long-term trends and other possible variables. This conclusion
also assumes that students and visitors are tending to use on-street parking
rather than car parks, and fails to take into account weekend versus weekday
variables. A comprehensive study of parking consumption in the West End is
beyond the scope of this study.
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Safety issues
Security and safety were identified as a concern by West End residents
including UNDA. This was in contrast to international students in the study
focus group, who did not find security a concern.
The civic spaces attributed to UNDA are locked up each night – walkways,
alleys and courtyards. More recently UNDA has employed security officers, to
ensure safety in its environs as well as investigating risk assessment in
relation to guaranteeing security for its students.
Concerns relating to safety reflect the relatively low number of people utilising
the streets in the West End, to some extent in the daytime and more
particularly at night, providing an opportunistic crime environment. This
situation is seen to reflect broader issues than the establishment of UNDA –
eg waterfront reform and the loss of almost 1000 FPA employees moving
around the locality together with other associated industry employees during
both day and night.
While there are approximately 1000 people present at UNDA each day, their
impact on the volume of pedestrian traffic in the West End has not been
sufficient to bring pedestrian traffic back to previous levels. Activity by
students related to spending and community participation clearly contributes
to the pedestrian traffic on the West End streets. There are a low proportion of
students living in the West End and Fremantle and therefore significantly
contributing to broader social life of Fremantle.
Impact on housing demand
Housing in the West End and in Fremantle has been utilised by students and
has affected both social and economic perspectives.
Home stay
The total number of home stay locations available to students of Notre Dame
International and PELA is 900. The Fremantle area currently has a shortage
of home stay locations available. Currently there are forty-eight located within
Fremantle in the following areas:
Fremantle – 16 Hilton – 5
North Fremantle – 4 South Fremantle – 6
Palmyra – 10 Beaconsfield – 4
Whit Gum Valley – 3
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Home stay accommodation costs $155 per week for students over 18, and
$170 per week for students under 18. Assuming an average of $162.50, and
an occupancy rate of thirty six weeks in a year, home stay accommodation
currently provides a minimum income of $280,800 per annum to Fremantle
residents who board students.
Hostel/Boarding Accommodation
There are three main locations within Fremantle that students currently board:
• The P&O Hotel
• Port Lodge
• Stella Maris Centre (overflow only)
In February there were fifteen students staying at Stella Maris Centre (full)
while another eight students were booked into backpacker accommodation
around Fremantle.
There are approximately 130 beds provided for students between the P&O
Hotel and Port Lodge.
For Semester 1, 2002, 64 study abroad students were enrolled at UNDA.
Most of these students pay for boarding accommodation in one of these two
locations. The occupancy rate for both boarding hoses is 36 weeks per year
charged out at $140 per week. The resultant income arising from this type of
accommodation is approximately $655,200 per year.
UNDA provides approximately 100 breakfasts per day for students boarding
within these premises. Breakfasts are supplied by Port Café (Henry Street &
Marine Terrace) at a cost of $438 per week. Again assuming an occupancy
rate of 36 weeks per year, breakfast costs total approximately $31,536 per
year.
Volunteer services by students
From the student survey, overall student involvement in volunteer activities
and community events appeared to be very small, with only 8.8% of students
citing any involvement. Of these students 17.1% were International students
(only 1.5% of the total survey respondents). Anecdotal evidence would
suggest that local student involvement in volunteer activities is higher than
that suggested by the survey results.
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Volunteer activities are strongly supported through UNDA’s active community
service program at the Edmund Rice Centre. The Centre is a source for
experiential learning, teaching and research that promotes a commitment to
the ministry of social justice among staff and students. Students, faculty
members and others connected within UNDA have the opportunity to study,
be prepared for and have practical experience in community service activities.
The Centre provides a meeting place for students who are preparing for and
reflecting on their experiences and involvement in service-learning as part of
their courses or in volunteer programs.
While the opportunities for community service are not restricted to the
Fremantle area, a number of the activities are available locally, such as
student work with Beaconsfield Primary School. Local organisations are able
to advertise for volunteer services in the weekly newsletter distributed to
students.
Ongoing UNDA community service projects include:
• Red Cross Soup Kitchen
• English Teaching
• Youth Programs
• St Vincent De Paul Camps
• Buddie Programs
• Notre Dame Reading Program
UNDA is also linked with Volunteering WA, soon to be located in the recently
acquired (UNDA) Cleopatra Hotel on High Street in the West End of
Fremantle.
UNDA’s buildings are made available on a regular basis for City Precinct
meetings, as well as for a variety of other community events or meetings
where required.
Change to traditional use and status of buildings
General stakeholder views were that the heritage work undertaken by UNDA
on West End buildings was of value to the area and that the changed of use
of buildings was not a concern.. There were some views however while
endorsing the physical restoration work, were critical of the new use of the
buildings, which did not adequately re-create their original purpose and use.
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These views were not general views, and reflects discussion in the
community. The retention by PELA of the Orient Hotel as a working hotel was
endorsed by all stakeholders. A common view was that the “pubs” were/are a
source of character and part of the essence of the West End, and that the
pubs represented “genuine Freo people”.
Other views contributed to the study included various visions of what the West
End should become. Ideas included recreating its past history as well as
creating a new precinct for business or other use.
UNDA properties
Detailed information regarding UNDA properties in the West End are
contained at Attachment 9 and a map of UNDA properties is at Attachment
10.
From information made available to this study, the total spending on
restoration/refurbishment of UNDA buildings since 1992 is over $13,000,000.
Maintenance on UNDA properties is undertaken generally by local
businesses, while specialised restoration and architectural expertise is
provided from outside the area.
A possible monoculture in the West End
Should UNDA not located to the West End, the buildings currently utilised by
UNDA may have been converted to apartments as have other warehouses
and like buildings in the area. In that event, there would have been no access
to those buildings by the general community, no public access to private
communal space, and the proportion of buildings devoted to private
residential purposes could have dominated the area.
With the current plans for expansion by UNDA brings a question of whether
such expansion would result in an education monoculture, or concentration of
a single industry type in the West End. Research indicates that there is no
one absolute percentage or number that can define the existence of a
monoculture, but that it is a perception reflecting a range of factors.
Discussions with stakeholders with views about a possible UNDA expansion
has revealed that perceptions of a monoculture in the West End are impacted
by:
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Physical characteristics:
• Layout of buildings
• Concentration of buildings
• Accessibility of buildings
• Spread of buildings across the West End
• Use of buildings
• Street face presentation
Or by intangible or aesthetic characteristics:
• Complementarity and inter-relatedness with other or similar industries
• Level of social integration with the local community
• Level of exclusivity
• Public awareness about what is planned
• Confidence in good neighbour practices
There was comment on those windows of UNDA buildings, which face onto
the street and which are painted over and blocked. This combined with other
impacts of both physical and intangible characteristics contributes to the
commented “fortress-like” perception about UNDA by its local community. The
community feel that UNDA buildings and spaces are not welcoming or
accessible and that there is no interface between UNDA and the life moving
around it. The Orient Hotel remaining open and part of the community has
however been seen as a positive example of how UNDA can change this
sense.
In the West End, the physical characteristics relating to access and siting of
buildings provide a fairly clear visual image of the level of concentration of an
industry such as that of UNDA. It was apparent during stakeholder
discussions that the intangible characteristics identified above more strongly
determine a perception of monoculture and moreover, that monoculture was
seen in the negative sense.
In the life of the West End up to the 1980’s the maritime industry was the
dominant industry – and based on the number of buildings utilised in this
industry as well as the number of workers associated with the industry – could
clearly be termed a “monoculture”. There is however no negative perception
about the maritime industry of that time.
This reflects the intangible or aesthetic characteristics which overall were
positive – great commonality of purpose, sharing of thinking, social
integration, inter-relatedness.
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The current level of concentration (based on number of buildings owned or
occupied in the West End) of UNDA is in the vicinity of 10 -15% of the built
area. These buildings are spread across a number of streets and while some
of them are adjacent, others are intermingled with buildings utilised for other
purposes. There are over 325 other businesses in the West End, covering
over 30 different business types.
Despite the fairly low concentration, and the spread of buildings and other
businesses across a number of streets, there is a concern amongst
stakeholders about UNDA dominating the West End, and the establishment of
a monoculture in the West End. Detailed discussion was not able to identify a
common view that buildings are too closely aggregated, in fact the
discussions confirmed the opposite view. The view of stakeholders therefore
reflected the intangible characteristics impacting their perceptions, perhaps
leading to concerns about an educational monoculture.
These intangible characteristics and concerns relate to a need expressed to
the study for effective communication and timely information sharing
practices, both of which were seen to be important in this small, tightly knit
area.
How UNDA can be seen as dominating the West End relates to some extent
to its physical profile but more importantly original community concerns
remaining unresolved, urban myths, issues that are personality driven and
community perceptions about UNDA.
These factors have clearly influenced stakeholders to express concern about
expansion, despite at the same time confirming that the establishment of
UNDA in the West End has been a benefit to the area, and particularly in
relation to restoration of heritage buildings.
No definitive qualitative figure of building concentration can identify the
presence of a monoculture. However qualitative stakeholder and community
views will strongly describe perceptions of a monoculture, and cause concern
far earlier than the emergence of any significant quantitative figure. This
appears to be the situation relating to UNDA in the West End.
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Impact on entertainment venues
Over the last ten years, three hotels in the West End and a number of
restaurants have closed. The changing nature of the workforce and
rationalisation of the Port are suspected to have contributed to the decline of
entertainment venues.
The subsequent decline of nightlife in the streets has been seen by
stakeholders as a major loss to the area.
The study survey revealed that the minor portion of the UNDA student
population who live in Fremantle, do utilise entertainment venues well,
whereas there is minimal use of these venues by those students who live
outside Fremantle (who are currently the majority of the student population).
Further discussion of the role of the Orient Hotel in the West End is
undertaken later in this report.
Projected spending patterns of students
Only a small portion of the students who completed the study questionnaire
either lived in Fremantle or had moved to Fremantle since commencing their
studies at UNDA, yet students residing within Fremantle spend the largest
proportion of their income in Fremantle across all the spending ranges, except
the highest (between $630 – $699 per week). The study estimates that
current spending of almost $228,000 per week will increase to over $410,000
per week. This figure will be further increased with a greater proportion of
students residing in the City of Fremantle.
Current (2001) Projected (2010)
Total number students 2213 4000
Total number of staff 313 571
Total spending per week $227,930.40 $412,949.80
Table 1: Estimated current and future staff and student spending on local products
and services.
Impact of a transitional student population
There was no comment or concerns from stakeholders about a transitional
student population. Those UNDA students and staff who live in Fremantle
contribute significantly to its economic and social fabric. With the current
enrolment numbers, this has not been large enough to have a noticeable
impact.
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Students who attend UNDA from their residences in other metropolitan areas
increase utilisation of public transport and parking facilities. The latter of these
are under pressure, with free/cheaper parking being seen by UNDA students
as a high priority need.
Effect of multicultural student body
The local community saw a multicultural student body as offering new life to
the West End. In addition, young, lively and multicultural people were seen as
a pleasant contrast with the older character of the West End - the “drunken
corner of Freo”.
In addition to the social diversity enhanced by the presence of International
students in the West End, these students also enhance Fremantle’s position
within the growing economic sector of International Education.
It is estimated that International Education in Western Australia directly
contributes $366M each year to the state economy, while a further $200M
flows from student spending on leisure activities, accommodation and other
asset purchases. This income has significant and widely felt flow on effects
with students’ fees; goods and services estimated to multiply by a factor of
1.58, and employment (jobs) by a factor of 1.73.
The benefits of International Education to the Western Australian economy
prompted recent research by the Department of Industry and Technology
(2001) to determine the reasons why Western Australia’s share of the market
for International Education has declined over the last few years. The research
made recommendations for a range of initiatives to overcome this decline.
These initiatives, among many others, include increasing graduate retention
and offering additional funding to promote the tourism facet of International
Education,
The location of two educational facilities in the West End of Fremantle (NDI
and PELA), one of which directly targets international students for higher
education while the other prepares international students for secondary as
well as tertiary study, will bring these benefits. Consequently their presence
will ensure the significant economic benefits of International Education can be
retained within the local Fremantle area.
While there is an economic contribution from the larger proportion of the
UNDA student cohort (totalling 1896) who are Australian residents, the
research identified above indicates that the international students attending
both UNDA and PELA represent a potentially significant economic injection to
the Fremantle economy.
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The study revealed that 22% of those International students who participated
in the study survey live in Fremantle. This is unlikely to change with the
severe shortage of home stay accommodation in the Fremantle area (48
compared to 900 over the entire metropolitan area), the absence of
reasonably priced quality housing, and the limited supply of boarding
accommodation available.
International students receiving English language tuition (PELA) spend almost
double the cost of their tuition fees on accommodation and other goods and
services (multiplier of 1.92) (Environmetrics, 2000). Studies also reveal that
international students attending higher education (eg at NDI) spend an
average of $599 per week on accommodation and other goods and services
(Australian International Education Foundation, 1997). The potential spending
by international students living outside Fremantle on items other than tuition
fees is being lost ie a leakage) from the Fremantle economy.
The absence of a range of commercial activities specifically designed to
capture the international student dollar in the West End and Fremantle would
further compound this leakage.
An estimate of the current and future potential economic value of the
International student population to Fremantle has been calculated below.
(Tables 2 & 3)
per student per annum Sub-Total TOTAL($M)
Other Other
Student No. of Tuition expenditure Tuition fees expenditure
cohort students fees ($) ($) ($M) ($M)
PELA 250 9000 17280 2.3 4.3 6.6
NDI 253 10320 21564 2.6 5.5 8.1
14.6
Table 2: International students’ spending: (2002)
Other
Student No. of Tuition Accommodation expenditure
cohort students fees($M) ($M) ($M) TOTAL ($M)
ND 1000 10.3 5.4 16.2 31.9
I
Table 3: International students’ spending: 2010 (NDI estimates)
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These estimates are based upon:
• UNDA International student fees (2001),
• PELA fees (2002) for 36 weeks of tuition.
• Accommodation expenditure of $150 per student (average)
• Projected NDI intake of 25 % of total student body (2010)
• Higher education average student spending of $599 per week (Australian
International Education Foundation, 1997)
• English language student spending (excluding tuition fees) of $1.92 per dollar spent
on tuition fees (Environmetrics, 2000)
• Multipliers and CPI increases have not been calculated
Based on the student survey findings that 22% of international students
enrolled with NDI live in the Fremantle area, it was estimated that
approximately $4.1M per annum of potential student spending is being leaked
to areas outside of Fremantle.
Changes to the nature of West End workforce
Industry relating to shipping, transportation, fishing have been major business
activities traditionally undertaken in the West End. The graphs on the
following pages demonstrate the impact of structural reform in the shipping
and transport industry. Details of the shipping numbers are provided below
from 1969 - 2001, showing cyclical change in number of ships visiting the
port, with overall similarity in numbers, subject to a slight downward trend.
Figure 2: Ship Numbers visiting the Inner Port of Fremantle
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001
Financial year ending:
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The graph below depicts the number of Fremantle Port Authority workers,
“waterside workers”, of almost 1100 workers in 1971, and a drop down to 175
workers in 1999. The most significant reduction has occurred in the decade
from 1991. While some of these “public servants” have been replaced by
contract workers in the private sector, many positions have been lost in
productivity improvements. To illustrate one of the impacts of the loss of these
workers and their spending – for example the number of hotels in the West
End has dropped by three during the 1990’s.
Figure 3: FPA Employee numbers
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999
Financial year
The proportion of non-container cargo and container cargo is shown in the
graph below. Container cargo is generally handled on North Wharf, rather
than Victoria Quay. Therefore the current FPA and private sector workers are
more likely to be working away from the West End with a consequential
reduction in social and economic impact on the West End.
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Figure 4: Proportion of Container and Non-container cargo.
100%
90%
80%
Non-container cargo
70%
Containerised cargo
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998
Financial year ending:
Concurrently with these changes, there has been gradual movement of
shipping agents, warehousing facilities and such to areas outside the West
End, mirroring the movement of transport infrastructure.
These changes have left many buildings in the West End vacant and caused
a significant loss of local and international visitors in both day and night time..
Current businesses in the West End
It is estimated that there are approximately 326 businesses currently
operating in the West End of Fremantle. Anecdotal evidence is that business
is not easy in the West End, with a low number of passing pedestrians.
The West End area is taken to be that area outlined in the Think Tank report
and comprising:
Bannister Street Market Street
Cliff Street Mouat Street
Collie Street Mrs Trivett Place
Fleet Street Nairn Street
Henry Street Pakenham Street
High Street Phillimore Street
Leake Street Short Street
Little High Street Slip Street
Marine Terrace Victoria Quay Road
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The West End comprises a range of business types including:
Accommodation
Administration Leisure and Recreation
Architectural Maritime
Art & Craft – retail and studio space Media
Bars and Hotels Members clubs
Cafes and restaurants Mining affiliates
Computing Photography and film
Consulates Printing
Education Professional services (including
Entertainment psychologists, Therapists)
Entertainment & culture (Spare Parts Real Estate
Puppetry, Bizircus) Retail
Financial Services Sex Industry
Furniture Shipping
Gems Tourism
Government (federal & State) Trade
Health
This range of businesses also confirms that education is just one of a wide
number of different types of businesses operating in the West End.
Property Sales
Data provided by the Valuer General’s Office records property sales.
Information on commercial and industrial properties was analysed to ascertain
any differences in price trends around UNDA when compared with the wider
Fremantle area. The “study area” was defined for this section as those streets
close to UNDA where the presence of a large single land use and student
body could be expected to have an impact on the value of properties (Table
4).
As the study was confined to commercial and industrial property, this being
the dominant land use and zoning in the West End, the wider Fremantle area
was defined to predominantly include similar land uses. Residential property
sales were not included given the limited long-term residential
accommodation in the West end.
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Study Area Comparison Area
Study area streets, plus:
Cliff Adelaide, Arundel, Bannister
Cliffe Collie, Elder, Ellen, Essex
Croke Goldsbrough, Henderson, Holdsworth
Henry James, Josephson, Knutsford
High (part only) Leake, Little Howard
Marine Market, Nairn, Norfolk
Mouat Ord, Parry, Point
Pakenham Quarry, Queen, Queen Victoria
Phillimore Russell
Shuffrey, South, Stirling, Suffolk
Westgate Mall, William, Wray
Table 4: Property Sales Study Area and Comparison Area
There were over 700 sales recorded for the period from 1988 to 2001. This
excludes the double counting in the original data where a sale transaction can
include one or more lots and each is recorded as a separate sale. Within the
defined Notre Dame study influence area (Table 4), there were 135 sales over
the fourteen year period. This represented 18% of the total commercial and
industrial sales.
The land area and value of sales for the study area were close to 15% of the
total for the comparison area. In an effort to remove some of the difference in
property values due to land area, average values were calculated for the
transactions. The average sale value over the fourteen years was remarkably
close (Table 5).
Recorded sales Land area of sales Value of Average value
(number) (square metres) Sales ($ per square
($million) metre)
Study area 135 62,250 86 1384
Comparison 704 408,700 565 1382
area
Table 5: Key Property Sale Statistics
The number of sales in a year fluctuated considerably. For the full comparison
area, the range was a low of 25 in 1996 to a high of 81 in 1989 (Figure 5). The
study area transactions were much smaller ranging from only 3 sales in 1996
to 19 in 1989.
The study area shows a similar pattern in terms of sale activity to the larger
comparison area although the small sample size for the study area makes it
difficult to be definite.
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The correlation coefficient of 0.82 suggests a fairly good relationship between
sales in the two areas. Certainly, there is little support for any idea that the
number of sales in the area has not followed the pattern for the wider
comparison area.
Figure 5: Property Sales
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
Source: Valuer General’s Office,2002
Property Values
Average land values fluctuate a great deal given the varying nature of capital
improvements included in the annual sales. For example, hotels in the West
End have sold for substantial prices in a few years raising the average by a
substantial amount. The increase in the comparison area in 1991 against the
downward trend for the surrounding years was due to the sale of one valuable
hotel in Marine Terrace (Figure 6).
In terms of average land values, there is little to distinguish between the two
areas. There does not appear to be any evidence to suggest a trend in
average land area prices over the study period or any divergence between the
areas.
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Figure 6: Property Sale Average Land Value ($/square metre)
2500
2000
Study area
1500
1000
Comparison area
500
0
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000
Source: Valuer General’s Office, 2002
Property sale data is notoriously difficult to interpret in commercial areas with
a wide divergence in capital improvements. However, on the basis of property
sales since 1988, there is no meaningful evidence to believe that the area
around UNDA has seen any different pattern of price movement than similar
commercial areas in the Fremantle business area. The property sales pattern
in terms of both sale numbers and sale values has followed a similar pattern
to the rest of the commercial area. This suggests wider economic forces at
work than local impacts.
Extent of impact on beauty/heritage value of area
Stakeholders to the study commended UNDA’s work over the last ten years to
restore heritage buildings in the West End. The spaces around and between
buildings have been improved significantly with planting, security and lighting.
With the improvement/creation of these open spaces, there was concern from
local residents who felt unable to share these.
Extent of impact of use of the University by outside bodies
An estimate of visitors to UNDA in 2001 was undertaken and revealed a
range of different uses of UNDA, each bringing numbers of people into the
West End.
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Conferences
In 2001 conferences held on campus at Notre Dame University attracted 2000
visitors for a total of 17 days throughout the year. These included:
• Two conferences held by Woodside
• The Catholic Teachers Conference
• Meerilinga Foundation
• WA Netball
• AARE
All of these conferences were initiated and managed by organisations
external to UNDA. They have created a greater inflow of visitors to the West
End. External groups view UNDA as an attractive conference venue due to its
unique location and character. Disruption to student activities and limited
capacity to hold conferences during the academic year impedes UNDA from
accepting many of the offers it receives from external organisations to hold
conferences and similar events.
With the exception of the Catholic Teachers’ Conference all of these
conferences required catering, much of which was provided by local
businesses. A profile of the economic impact of one such conference is at
Attachment 9.
Seminars/Lectures
Sixteen lectures/seminars were held at Notre Dame University throughout
2001, attracting 1890 people to the West End of Fremantle, and occurring
over a period of 30 days throughout the year. Seven of these were
undertaken by entities external to UNDA. Of the five lectures/seminars that
were catered for external caterers, a Fremantle based catering company
supplied two of these.
Social Functions
The following social functions were held at Notre Dame over the course of
2001:
• Wedding mass on five separate occasions for 450 people overall.
• Wedding attracting 60 people.
• The Archbishop’s Fundraiser for 300 people.
• Concert for 400 people.
• Two cocktail parties for at least 60 people.
• Fundraiser for 200 people.
• Fundraiser for 300 people.
• Ten year anniversary celebrations for 100 people.
• Prime Minister’s visit with 300 guests.
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• Australian Irish Heritage function for 100 people.
• Secondary Principles Lunch for 40.
• The Australian Alumni for 40 people.
Ten of these social functions were undertaken by entities external to UNDA.
Four of these occasions were by two local Fremantle catering companies. In
total these events attracted 2350 people to UNDA campus.
Graduations
Two graduations were held in 2001. The mid year graduation for 80
graduands attracted 450 people in total. The end of year graduation for 179
graduands attracted a total of 800 people. In total graduation ceremonies held
at UNDA in 2001 brought 1250 people to the West End of Fremantle.
Overall visitor numbers
Conferences, seminar/Lectures, social functions and graduations attracted
7490 to the UNDA campus in the West End of Fremantle. Many of these
people, while primarily visiting the area on UNDA or PELA business, have
additionally impacted on the local economy by patronising local entertainment
venues.
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Key Information
A series of questions were asked in the tender brief. The following section of
the report provides brief answers, while more detailed information about these
can be found in the Attachments to this report.
Projections in this study are calculated based on current numbers of staff and
students, the Notre Dame Strategic Plan and discussions with UNDA in
relation to estimated student numbers into the future. Although the current
Strategic Plan suggests that student numbers (EFTU’s) by 2010 will have
reached 3532, current student numbers are 32% higher than that predicted in
this Plan. Consequently the projected student numbers for 2010 were
reconsidered and estimated to reach a maximum of 4000 students by 2010.
Projections for staff numbers were based on a ratio of 1:7.
1. give estimates and projections on average student and staff
expenditure in financial terms on the types of products and services that
are purchased locally;
Student spending
Assuming a total student population of 2213, the current students enrolled at
UNDA could be expected to contribute around $177,156 per week to the
Fremantle area.
The following figures illustrate total student spending; student spending
estimated to occur in Fremantle; and the difference between total student
spending and what is spent in Fremantle.
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Figure 7: Total weekly spending by students
630-699
560-629
490-559
420-489
Range ($)
350-419
280-349
210-279
140-209
70-139
0-69
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Number of Students
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Figure 8: Total weekly student spending in Fremantle
360-499
320-359
280-319
240-279
Range ($)
200-239
160-199
120-159
80-119
40-79
0-39
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Number of Students
Figure 9: Student spending - Total versus that spent in Fremantle
300
250
Number of Students
200
Total
150
Fremantle
100
50
0
0-69 70-139 140-209 210-279 280-349 350-419 420-489 490-559 560-629 630-699
Range ($)
Total spending figures offered by students were reduced according to what percentage of this
spending the student estimated to be spent in Fremantle:
Total spending was reduced to 25% of the figure provided where the student estimated 50%
or less of total spending was spent in Fremantle.
Total spending was reduced to 50% of the figure provided where the student estimated 50-
75% of total spending was spent in Fremantle.
Total spending was reduced to 75% of the figure provided where the student estimated 75%
or more of total spending was spent in Fremantle.
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Staff spending
A profile of spending by staff was compiled from information provided by over
50 staff who completed the study survey.
Type of business Description of purchase Amount spent in a Purchased Purchased in
month ($) frequently? the West End of
(number) Fremantle?
(number)
Financial/Accountancy tax and books 57 2 1
Travel overseas travel & visas 5220 2 4
Real Estate/Property rent, management fees 470 3 2
Health (e.g. dental) check-ups, dental, health 738 4 4
products, doctor, women's
health
Fitness (e.g. gym membership, gym, shoes, backpack, 1080 4 2
sporting) pool & equipment, leisure
centre, cycle equipment
Legal local advice 60 1 1
Arts and Crafts gifts (n=4), indigenous 285 5 4
Electrical/technological Cd player, digital camera 2294 3 4
and scanner etc.
Printing & design (e.g. phonecards, photocopying, 786 5 5
photocopying, website design) laminating, cards, course
readers
Planning (e.g. architectural) house revovation quote 0 0 1
Other clothing, chemist, gifts, 215 3 3
coffee
TOTAL 11205
Table 6: staff purchases per month ($)
Staff survey responses revealed that staff spend on average $131.90 per
week on products and services, which meet day-to-day requirements. For
larger and less frequent or specialised products and services, staff spend an
average of $51.90 per week. As with students, spending patterns vary
considerably from staff member to staff member. To accommodate this
variation a single average of $183.80 provides the simplest method of
estimation of total staff spending.
As with students, staff residing within Fremantle spend more on average than
their colleagues who reside outside of the Fremantle area. Almost 14 % of
staff currently employed at UNDA live within the City of Fremantle. A
summary of current and future spending by staff and students is provided
below:
Current (2001) Projected (2010)
Total number students 2213 4000
Total number of staff 313 571
Total spending per week $227,930.40 $412,949.80
Table 7: Estimated current and future staff and student spending on local products
and services.
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2. give estimates and projections on average student and staff
expenditure in financial terms on the types of products and services that
are available locally but are purchased within UNDA;
There is a limited range of products and services available to staff and
students within UNDA premises. These include books and other stationery
items from a cooperative bookshop, and food items from Jester’s Pies located
within the student common room. These are not UNDA facilities but are
commercial businesses that operate within the physical environment of the
West End Campus.
3. identify products and services that students have difficulty in
purchasing locally;
A range of products which students identified as difficult to purchase are:
Theme Product/Service Number of Responses
Not Difficult to
available access
Transport Parking 3 14
Affordable parking 1 2
Free parking 6 4
Information at bus stops a bout 1
buses
Petrol stations 1
Adequate bus services on 1
weekends and at night
Financial Services Automatic teller machines/banking 2 5
services
Telecommunications Telephone boxes 2 2
Chinese Internet 1
Internet 1
Music Compact Discs 1 1
Security Lockers 1
Shopping Clothing 1
‘Footlocker’ 1
Golfing shop 1
Large shopping mall 1
Dressmaker 1
Technology Computer games 2 1
Childcare Crèche 1
Student resources Good library 3
Health & Fitness Gym 1 1
Recreation centre 1
Scuba diving for Japanese 1
Food Take ways (KFC & Pizza Hut) 3
Juice shop 1
Japanese mustard 1
Groceries 1
Postal Post Office 1
Table 8: Products not available in the West End for students
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4. give global estimates and projections of UNDA expenditure on
local goods and services and identify products and services that UNDA
are unable to source locally;
Estimates of the value and types of goods and services purchased locally by
UNDA in a year were calculated and shown in the table below. This
information reveals that UNDA spends at least $783,020 per year on local
goods and services.
Product/Service Expenditure Type Business type and numberAmount ($ 000's)
Vehicles Purchase (every 2 yrs) Car Dealer (branded) 75
Petrol Petrol Station 15
Repairs/maintenance Car Dealer (branded) 6
Printing Printer 2
Framing Framer 3.5
Food Catering 2 caterers 4
Electrical Goods 2 Electrical shops 35
Locksmith Supplies and service 2 security companies 15
24
Post Office Australia Post 85
Cleaning Contractors Cleaning Company 195
Employees 2 local staff 50
Window cleaning Window Cleaning Company 15
Tradespeople Glazier Glass Company 6
Waste Removal City of Fremantle 6
Hardware Various Hardware Shop 5
Hire Hire Company 5
Accommodation Breakfast A West End Café 35.04
Security Security Company 201.48
TOTAL 783.02
Table 9: Local products & services purchased by UNDA per year
It is estimated that by 2010, UNDA will enrol approximately 4000 students (of
which 25% will be International students) and employ 571 staff. To
accommodate the increase in the numbers of people working and studying on
the campus it is expected that UNDA will need to undertake further capital
investment, however this would be on a smaller s cale than developments to
date. UNDA in its current form occupies a fairly large area and therefore has
the capacity to increase the efficiency of this area to accommodate some of
the expected growth.
It is anticipated that the following will need to occur to achieve growth targets:
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• Increase student accommodation levels by 250 beds (100 of these by
the end of 2002)
• Redevelop land currently owned by UNDA (e.g. Croke Street Carpark)
• Convert warehouse space to classrooms (ND21)
• Restore and convert the Cleopatra Hotel
• Purchase new buildings in the West End
• Establish a School of Medicine and a school of Physiotherapy
The total land area /floor space UNDA currently occupies is unknown,
however estimates would suggest that UNDA building stock comprises 10-
15% of the West End of Fremantle.
Future expenditure on building stock may see few economic benefits to
Fremantle during the construction/redevelopment phase, however
expenditure on maintenance after construction would have direct impacts on
the local economy. At an estimate of a 15% increase in building stock owned
by UNDA, it could be expected that spending on maintenance and running
costs would also increase by this amount.
Costs positively correlated with increases in student and staff numbers as
seen in the table above, could also be expected to increase proportionally.
By 2010, based upon the estimates above, expected UNDA expenditure per
annum on goods and services available locally would be $1,033,586.
Maintenance costs, are conservatively estimated to be $200,000 per annum.
In total, UNDA expenditure on local goods and services in 2010, based on
current conditions and trends, is conservatively estimated to be at least
$1,263,586 for that year.
An estimate of the type and value of significant goods and services which
UNDA sources from outside the local area was obtained and is shown below
in table 10, revealing that at least $1,549,000 of UNDA’s annual expenditure
is spent on goods and services outside the local area.
Product/Service Expenditure Type Amount ($000's)
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(per annum)
Computers and computer
Products capital accrual 200
recurrent costs 600
Security maintenance & upgrades 36
Electrical maintenance 60
Plumbing repairs & maintenance 45
Photocopying paper 29
Classroom Equipment 100
Data cabling Upgrade 90
Furniture 162
Air-conditioning repairs & maintenance 45
Window treatments 35
Stationary 60
Waste removal 10
Carpets cleaning 16
Chemical, cleaning, toilet
products 24
Water corporation 25
Signage 12
TOTAL 1549
Table 10: Significant products & services sourced outside of Fremantle
In addition to this, UNDA has been actively involved in the purchase,
restoration, conversion and maintenance of number of properties in the West
End of Fremantle since prior to its opening in 1992. The nature of these
buildings, both in terms of their historical value, and their conversion to
education related uses, has required that UNDA seek specialised service
providers to undertake the building related activities.
It is estimated that almost all of this expenditure, except for recurring costs
such as maintenance, has been directed to goods and services provided
outside of the local area.
Attachment 10 (building expenditure) details the expenditure to date on
building related activities. It reveals that over the last five years (1998-2002)
$984,668 has been spent on the maintenance of UNDA buildings. This is the
equivalent to almost $200,000 per year, for the last five years.
5. give estimates and projections on UNDA staff expenditure on
goods and services purchased within UNDA yet provided locally;
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See question 2 above. Full details of staff spending locally is below:
Product supplier Location of purchase and Purchased when?
amount spent in a week(number)
($)?
The West EndOther part On a On a day when
of Fremantle of working you are not
Fremantle day at working at
UNDA/NDI UNDA/NDI
Supermarket or similar 558 1890 27 10
(e.g. groceries)
Butcher 115 50 7 2
Greengrocer/delicatessen 145 145 16 4
Bakery 45 37 11 2
Newsagency 192 61 27 4
Post Office (including bill 209 170 15 2
payments)
Bookshop 145 78 16 5
Clothing shop 202 313 17 8
Gift shop or similar (e.g. 121 40 10 4
jewellery)
Music 25 80 6 2
Other (please describe) 156 2344 16 4
TOTAL 1913 5208
Table 11: Location of products and purchases by staff
6. give estimates and projections on current student numbers and
the number of days of their actual contact (EFTU) per year, including
students who reside within the Fremantle area;
Projected
UNDA /NDI Students EFTU's
1999 2000 2001 2002 2010
International 37 84 65 253 1000
Study Abroad 39 68 61 64 200
Australian 935 979 1683 1896 2800
TOTAL 1011 1131 1809 2213 4000
Full time 675 756 1192 1587
Part time 336 375 617 626
TOTAL 1011 1131 1809 2213
Reside in Fremantle NA NA NA 265 480
Percentage of students who live in Fremantle 11.97%
Table 12: Student numbers and actual contact (EFTU’s)
Additionally there are 250 Phoenix English Language Academy students
studying full time in the West End.
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Based on 2002 figures, of the 2213 students enrolled at UNDA in semester 1,
these are the equivalent to 1900 EFTU’s assuming 1 Part time unit equals 0.5
of an EFTU.
According to the student survey results approximately 55% of students spend
between 20 and 39 hours per week in Fremantle, 28% between 0 and 19
hours per week and 14% between 40 and 59 hours per week.
Based on 36 weeks’ per year contact time, and that a full time student has a
average of 12 hours contact time a week, an estimate of time spent on
campus is as follows:
Currently enrolled (2002):
• 1672 full time students (EFTU) = range of 108 to 144 days per year
• 227 full time students (EFTU) who live in Fremantle – 365 days per
year
Projection (2010):
• 3520 full time students(EFTU) = range 108 to 144 days per year.
• 480 full time students (EFTU) who will live in Fremantle – 365 days
contact per year
7. give data on current staff numbers: fulltime, fractional and
sessional;
The table below, provides details of the total UNDA staff population.
Table 13: total UNDA staff population
Staff 2002
UNDA NDI TOTAL
Full time 87 28 115
Part time/fractional 62 6 68
Casual/sessional 120 10 130
TOTAL 313
Reside in Fremantle
Full time 16 8 24
Part time/fractional 7 2 9
Casual/sessional 10 0 10
TOTAL 43
Percentage of staff who live in Fremantle 13.74%
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8. give data on visitors (eg conference, seminar, lecture, social
function, graduation ceremony, information evening attendees);
UNDA has provided details of added visitors to the West End through
functions held at UNDA, as well as conferences. Details of these are provided
earlier in this report.
Attachment 9 identifies the details of one conference held at UNDA, which
contributed to businesses in the Fremantle area. Conferences,
seminar/lectures, social functions and graduations attracted 7,490 to the
UNDA campus in 2001. Many of these people, while primarily visiting the area
on UNDA or PELA business, have additionally impacted on the local economy
by patronising local entertainment venues.
A conference held in December 2001 at Fremantle provided work for local
businesses, and total spending on the conference was $462,000 (the break-
even figure) and included international and national visitors for the conference
(400 delegates), for the dinner (750 people), and utilised other Fremantle
facilities eg Fremantle Prison.
It can be seen that UNDA provides a focal point of attraction at the Port for
people who may not otherwise have chosen to visit Fremantle. It is
reasonable to assume that a number of these people will have utilised both
local government (ie parking) and business services (eg hospitality, tourism)
as part of their visit to Fremantle. In addition, overseas students regularly
have visitors from overseas, including family and friends who visit the area for
periods of up to four weeks.
9. quantify the social impact of the student population on Fremantle;
Social impacts of the student population by the community are not easily
quantified as stakeholders felt that they were unable to identify UNDA
students in the West End, unless there was some identifying feature, such as
some of the overseas students who could be more easily identified.
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However, a picture of social impacts by students in terms of their activities in
and around Fremantle was obtained in the student survey. Thirty-five students
cited involvement in volunteer activities and community events in Fremantle.
This represents 8.8% of the respondents.
The activities and community events are listed below:
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Own and run a not-for-profit op
Amnesty Candle Day shop
Assist at reading classes Red Cross Soup Patrol (n=3)
Charitable money collections
(n=2) Red Nose Day
Drama Association The Fremantle Arts Centre
The Fremantle Chamber of
Fremantle Masters Games Commerce (n=2)
Human Rights Day Concert The Fremantle Festival (n=4)
The Fremantle Food and Wine
May Day March Festival
New Life Christian Community The Fremantle Maritime Museum
Notre Dame Commencement The Fremantle Samba
Night (drumming)
Notre Dame March Visitor at hostel
Orientation Days and SAO Volunteer work at Saint Patrick’s
Scheme (?) (n=4)
Table 14:Volunteer & Community Events – student participation
10. based on the Notre Dame Strategic Plan give projections for the
future impact of UNDA on Fremantle;
Current (2001) Projected (2010)
Total number students 2213 4000
Total number of staff 313 571
Table 15: Estimated current and future staff and student population.
With the projected increase in UNDA student and staff population, there will
be an increase in:
• Demand for UNDA physical resources. UNDA’s plan is for minimal
increased land area use, but for increased volume on current land
areas.
• Demand for housing (for reasonably priced and fair quality student
accommodation as well as for residential housing)
• Demand for parking and transport (and payment of parking fees)
• Demand for community services (eg the City of Fremantle Library)
• Purchases of goods and services from local businesses, more
particularly if there is an increased proportion of staff and students
living in Fremantle
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11. ascertain whether businesses supplying UNDA have located in
Fremantle as a result;
The location of UNDA in the West End of Fremantle was a crucial factor in the
decision of PELA to locate to the West End. The study was unable establish
whether any additional businesses have located to the West End as a result
of UNDA’s location in the West End. However, it became apparent during the
course of the study the role UNDA plays in supporting many local Fremantle
and West End businesses through its patronage of their goods and services.
In this respect UNDA’s presence is an additional incentive for businesses to
maintain location in Fremantle and service Fremantle based customers. In
addition to this, UNDA actively seeks West End or Fremantle based suppliers
of goods and services where these suppliers can offer a competitive service.
Opportunities exist for businesses to locate to the West End to service the
student body and the needs of UNDA, however these are currently under-
utilised. ,UNDA has indicated that it will remain focussed on its core business
of providing university education and will limit further expansion into any
commercial venture.
The location of PELA to the West End of Fremantle has seen significant
economic and social impacts. This business undertakes both English
language tuition as PELA, and English language support to international
students attending UNDA through NDI. A proportion of those students
undertaking English language with PELA, go on to attend UNDA. PELA has a
significant role in attracting full fee paying international students to the West
End of Fremantle.
Since locating to the West End, PELA has contributed both economically and
socially, in the following ways:
• PELA currently employs over 30 people
• PELA has purchased, restored and redeveloped heritage properties
valued at over $2.8m in the West End. An unforeseen benefit of this
property transfer was the resolution of an outstanding rates debt owing
to the City of Fremantle.
• PELA retained the licence to the Orient Hotel and continues to
successfully run this hotel as a bar, café and restaurant. Apart from the
250 English language students who use the Orient for both study and
social activities, approximately 250 additional patrons frequent the
hotel from Monday to Friday.
• PELA students represent a range of nationalities including Zambians,
Kenyans, Swiss, Germans, and Brazilians, all who attend studies in the
West End. These students reinforce and support the cultural diversity
of the Fremantle population and its tourism sector.
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Social and Economic Impact Study
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12. give estimates of the effect that the establishment of UNDA has
had on property prices in the West End of Fremantle:
Property sale data is notoriously difficult to interpret in commercial areas with
a wide divergence in capital improvements. However, on the basis of property
sales since 1988, there is no meaningful evidence to believe that the area
around UNDA has seen any different pattern of price movement than similar
commercial areas in the Fremantle business area. The property sales pattern
in terms of both sale numbers and sale values has followed a similar pattern
to the rest of the commercial area. This suggests wider economic forces at
work than local impacts.
13. Has the establishment of Notre Dame had any effect on the
attitude of their partners/competitors to Fremantle;
With the establishment of UNDA, subsequently PELA and CALM have located
to the West End.
This is consistent with economic theory that like or complementary
businesses will re-locate to an area to take advantage of common clients.
Competitors such as Murdoch University and the University of Western
Australia have indicated that there has been no change in their attitude to
Fremantle as a result of UNDA’s establishment.
14. Identify student issues and desires in relation to parking, public
transport, security and the requirement for additional leisure/recreation
facilities in Fremantle
Parking was the most important issue for students. Students were keen to see
more parking, particularly free or reasonably priced parking around the
campus.
Where they utilised public transport, there was criticism that the circle route
would be more convenient if it ran both clockwise and anti-clockwise around
the City. There was a need for public transport on weekends and after
working hours.
Recreational leisure activities sought by students are identified in the table 8
above, and included access to a gym and a recreational centre. Some
overseas students had an interest in scuba diving facilities.
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Social and Economic Impact Study
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15. Show current and projected volume of people coming to and
being active in the West End, include staff, students and visitors
persons per week
Visitors current Projected 2010
Staff 313 607
UNDA 1896 3000
Internationals (NDI, PELA & Study abroad) 567 1250
International visitors (to students) 4 9
Functions, conferences, graduations etc. 144 216
TOTAL 2924 5082
Percentage increase in visitors to Fremantle 174%
Table 16: Current and projected visitor numbers per week to the West End.
The number of people coming to and being active in The West End was
determined using the information supplied about the events held by UNDA
over the last twelve months, the number of students and staff, and the
percentage of international and study abroad students estimated to receive
visitors (mainly overseas) while attending UNDA.
It is believed that these numbers provide a conservative estimate more likely
to represent the baseline number of people coming to the West End.
Fluctuations above this baseline data result from those undocumented and
less quantifiable visits which are known to occur throughout the year. These
include overseas visitors undertaking administrative matters with UNDA, small
visiting groups such as those visiting from Malaysia in early 2002, service
providers and others.
The data was estimated based on the following principles:
• UNDA student numbers will increase to 4000, of which 1000 will
comprise of international students (NDI & Study Abroad).
• 250 PELA students
• 25% of International students will receive visitors estimated at a factor
of 1.5 per student.
• Visitors resulting from functions, conferences, graduations etc willl
increase by a factor of 1.5
• UNDA will not expand its course options to include external students.
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16. Give estimates and projections on the number of person days per
year of residency.
Estimates of the number of person days per year were calculated based on
current residency rates of both staff and students in Fremantle. (13% and
12% respectively) It is assumed that these rates will remain relatively
unchanged in 2010.
Current residency
• 48 Home stay – 252 days per year
• 130 utilising university accommodation (Port Lodge etc.) – 252 days
per year
• 43 Staff live in Fremantle 365 days per year
• 87 students renting/housed privately - 365 days per year
Projected (2010) residency
• 48 Home stay – 252 days per year
• 250 utilising university accommodation (Port Lodge etc.) - 252 days per
year
• 78 staff - 365 days per year
• 182 students renting/house elsewhere - 365 days per year
It is anticipated that UNDA will supply a further 100 beds in the West End by
the end of 2002. A further 150 places will be sought after this date. UNDA
does not intend to supply large-scale student accommodation and
consequently does not foresee increasing the number of beds above those
described.
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Conclusions
Through spending directed towards local businesses, UNDA has made a
positive economic impact on the Fremantle business community, and this is
likely to increase with the planned expansion in student numbers, particularly
that of international students, towards the year 2010.
The presence of UNDA has attracted other business to the West End. The
Phoenix English Language Academy has partnered UNDA to form Notre
Dame International, and has purchased and upgraded the Orient Hotel and
maintained its license.
The study found that the greatest social and economic impact in the West End
was from UNDA staff and students who live in the Fremantle area.
The majority of the staff and students live outside the Fremantle area. There
is consequently a leakage of their spending to other areas. Increasing the
availability of student accommodation could reverse this, as could more goods
and services being provided in the West End. Initiatives by the City to assist
in providing for this future need will have a direct economic impact on the
West End.
Over the last ten years, the establishment of the UNDA campus has had a
significant and valuable impact on the retention and restoration of heritage
properties in the West End.
Trends in property values in the West End reflected those in the greater
Fremantle area. There was no evidence to suggest that UNDA has had any
impact on property values, nor that its impact on the West End was
comparable to that of a “monoculture”.
A young and multicultural student body has positively impacted the social
fabric of the West End.
The study heard that there needed to be a more open and cooperative
approach by UNDA in communicating with its local community.
Overall, there are current and potential economic benefits resulting from
UNDA’s location in the West End and its future plans for expansion, subject to
greater availability of student accommodation. In the short and longer term,
further initiatives are required to achieve comparable social benefits for all
members of the West End business and general community.
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