By Abbey Wheeler
Anyone who has been on campus lately may have noticed a bit more activity than usual in the Guild Village. The construction works currently being carried out form part of the Guild’s future Masterplan, which was announced in September last year.
As part of the Masterplan, students can expect to see upgrades to the Tav and the Ref, a lift in Cameron Hall, a covered arbour on Oak Lawn for events and studying, more outdoor seating and increased lighting around the Guild Village.
The concept designs can be viewed here.
I spoke with Guild President Indi Creed to find out more about the project and what it will mean for students.
Indi said the project has been developed in response to student feedback which emphasised the outdatedness of the current Guild precinct.
“We want to bring our guild facilities up to the standard of the 21st century and ensure that our service delivery is consistent with the investment that we want to make for students”.
Indi said one of the most frequent pieces of feedback they received was about how difficult it is to study outdoors on campus with limited access to power points and lighting.
The construction work plans to address this with new overhead lighting structures in the courtyard outside the Campus IGA and on Oak Lawn. There will also be additional seating with plenty of power points.
The Masterplan also entails a facelift for the Tav and the Ref.
“All the changes are going to make being in the Guild Village a much better experience”, Indi said.
It is estimated that the project will take approximately three months to complete, with most of the work occurring over the winter break.
During this time there may be some minor disruptions, but don’t worry, you’ll still be able to get your fix of Campus Kebabs as the Ref will remain open for business. However, the Tav will be closed for the duration of the winter break.
However, students will have to wait a bit longer for most of the planned upgrades. The first phase of construction will only entail a walkway through Guild Village and modernising of the Ref and the exterior of the Tav. The timeline for the rest of the works is uncertain.
The initial construction is being funded entirely by the Guild, with further upgrades being financed in partnership between the Guild and the University. Indi assured me that there will be no extra expenses for students as a result.
As for the rumoured bridge connecting campus with Matilda Bay: “It’s more of a footpath”, laughs Indi.