- Business case to be developed to help guide potential merger of The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University
- Input provided from steering committee including university and student representatives
- Business case follows studies that found a merger would provide significant benefits to the Western Australian economy and create long-term jobs for Western Australians
- Builds on TAFE reforms to ensure WA workers have skills for jobs in health, education, defence, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and resources
The Cook Labor Government will develop a business case into the potential merger of The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Murdoch University.
The business case will further interrogate the benefits and costs of a potential three-way merger, including the potential for such a merger to be self-funded by the universities.
It will be undertaken by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, with input from a steering committee led by Western Australian businessman Mark Barnaba as Chair and medical researcher Professor Fiona Wood AO as Deputy Chair.
University and student representatives will be included on the committee, as well as expertise from industry, research, and finance.
The potential merger is part of the Cook Labor Government’s strategy for ensuring WA workers have skills needed for jobs in health and education, as well as growth industries, like defence, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and resources.
Since being elected, WA Labor has transformed vocational education by rebuilding WA’s TAFE campuses and making hundreds of priority courses free or low-fee.
The next opportunity for developing WA’s local skilled workforce is ensuring Western Australia’s university sector is operating to an international standard, while ensuring regional students have access to high-quality university options, in line with the Cook Labor Government’s Seven Cities vision.
The formation of the steering committee and commissioning of the business case accompanies the release of two significant government studies into the performance, sustainability, and future direction of WA’s public university sector: the 2023 University Sector Review and the 2025 University Feasibility Study.
Both studies found that merging the three WA public universities would provide maximum benefits to the WA economy and the creation of long-term jobs for Western Australians.
They also found that WA is missing out on vital international and national research funding, which a strengthened university will be better positioned to win, further boosting the WA economy.
A key focus of the business case will be on student outcomes including improved course quality, completion rates, and education outcomes.
It will consider complementary reforms such as establishing a Student Education and Welfare Advisory Council, a co-ordinated system to improve access to work placements for students, as well as a Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Program to support funding of emerging research opportunities and industry development priorities.
Once completed, the business case will be considered by government, ahead of a final decision being made.
Committee members include Mr Mark Barnaba, Chair; Professor Fiona Wood AO, Deputy Chair; Professor Peter Klinken AC; Ms Susan Grylls; Ms Elizabeth Gaines; Ms Rebecca Tomkinson; and Professor Peter Yu AM.
The reports can be found here: www.wa.gov.au/universityreform
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
“Ensuring local workers have the skills needed for WA’s jobs of the future is one of my government’s top priorities.
“We have rebuilt our TAFE campuses and made hundreds of priority courses free for Western Australians, so we can get more local workers into local jobs.
“The next opportunity to get WA workers job-ready is to ensure that we have a world-class university system that is delivering for Western Australians right across our State.
“Equality of opportunity is the core value of my government. That means ensuring WA kids have the opportunity of a world class education, whether that be at TAFE or at uni, no matter where they live.
“While the reports we have undertaken to date have identified the benefits of university mergers, we need to do more work on the potential costs and ability for the reforms to be funded by the universities themselves before making a final decision.”
As stated by Tertiary and International Education Minister Dr Tony Buti:
“This is a critical step towards determining the best approach to maintaining a modern, globally competitive university sector here in Western Australia for the long-term.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure the future education of our children and future leaders and strengthen our economy by ensuring our higher education offerings remain relevant and attractive, so it is important we get this right.
“Western Australia not only needs to deliver world-class education for students; we also need to build on our existing capability to deliver leading research.
“The business case is about doing the detailed work – confirming costs, transition arrangements, and implementation pathways ahead of a final decision being made.
“Student welfare is also a key part of this work, and we will also be considering a range of complementary reforms that support students, as well as emerging research opportunities.
“We are committed to working in partnership with our university sector and stakeholders throughout the process.”
