Environmental Planning
The University Campus Master Plan 2017-2035 will seek to facilitate the unification of the Armidale Campus across a series of rejuvenated and distinctive academic, residential commercial and sporting precincts. World-class academics, researchers and students will interact with one another in the precincts and connect with the world through digitally dominant e-learning facilities. The UNE campus will be recognised as a tertiary education leader in environmentally sustainable practices complemented by its natural rural landscape and cultural heritage features.
Given the University’s significant environmental footprint, the University is committed towards a number of significant projects which will consider land area usage, new buildings and infrastructure as well as an ever-increasing cost associated with the renewal of underground infrastructure. The new infrastructure will support environmentally responsible and sustainable practices to the concept of Environmental Conscious Design.
The University will focus on the creation of new service corridors within the campus to fully integrate and leverage the “smart” abilities of these systems to automatically manage the microgrid. This will enable the University will fully automate grid functions such as demand management and load balancing. Additionally, the University will reduce the total electricity demand of the campus and increase the on-site generation of renewable energy. These energy efficiency projects and activities (including energy audits and updates of its building standards) will be progressively implemented subject to annual budgetary considerations.
The University will prioritise a stem of recommendations addressing existing deficiencies and provide new facilities that allow campus users to move to and from the campus while addressing the key issues for transport and environmental sustainability. These recommendations will be collated into a prioritised program and its timeframe of delivery will be dependent on the funding programs available to the University where there is a requirement for a particular facility linked to a development threshold or outcome.
The University will construct landscape infrastructure in order to complement, rather than detracts from, the ‘New England bushland campus’ environment. A schedule to upgrade or replace existing infrastructure will consider existing security hotspots in the design and planning phase for new trails and routes. The timing for construction of new infrastructure will depend on the availability of funds, as well as results of the design and planning process.
