The Curtin Student Guild condemns the decision to increase on-campus accommodation rents by 4.29% in 2027, above the current rate of inflation.
We know many students will be angry about this. They have every right to be.
Students are already being pushed to the limit by housing costs. Earlier this year, our Stacked Against Students report showed just how unaffordable student accommodation has become and called for rents to come down, not keep rising.
Curtin cannot wash its hands of this.
At Bentley, Curtin made the decision to hand much of its accommodation over to private providers and continues to operate within a system that allows these increases. At Agricola in Kalgoorlie, Curtin runs the accommodation directly and is imposing the same 4.29% increase itself.
These are choices, and students should not have to keep paying the price for corporate decisions that fail to put them first.
At the absolute minimum, Curtin should now increase the on-campus accommodation equity bursary pool by enough to offset the additional rent students will collectively be paying in 2027.
If Curtin is prepared to accept higher rents across its accommodation network, it should also be prepared to put substantially more money behind supporting the students least able to afford them.
But our advocacy is making a difference.
Following sustained pressure from residents and the Guild, Curtin has now committed to installing a 2.1 metre security fence around Vickery House. That is an important win for students who have been raising serious safety concerns for years.
It proves what happens when students speak up and the Guild keeps pushing.
We welcome that progress. But safer housing cannot come at the cost of less affordable housing.
The Guild will keep fighting for lower rents, safer accommodation, better living conditions and stronger protections for students.
We are making important progress.
And we will keep fighting for you.