As a democratic student union constitutionally opposed to militarism in all its forms, UMSU welcomes the announcement that the University of Melbourne is pausing construction of the Fishermen’s Bend Campus.
As a democratic student union constitutionally opposed to militarism in all its forms, UMSU welcomes the announcement that the University of Melbourne is pausing construction of the Fishermans Bend Campus.
Our union is built upon generations of student activists who have long held that there is no place for military research or arms manufacture in institutions of higher learning.
It was therefore alarming that the University of Melbourne took pride in its new Fishermans Bend campus, with an industry prospectus spruiking the fact that it would be ‘advantageously located within the cluster of defence industry and research entities, including the defence Science & Technology Group and Boeing’ and celebrating the University’s development of ‘leading-edge defence technologies’.
In a report released by the Group of Eight, it was stated that the University of Melbourne is ‘propositioned to offer a wider value proposition that includes multiple entry points into AUKUS relevant programs… the University will deliver the transformational change needed to build the AUKUS workforce’.
At a time when student satisfaction at the University remains low (8th worst in the country for undergraduates, and 5th worst for graduate coursework students) and UMSU’s Racism Report and A Campus In Crisis cost-of-living report highlight persistent student concerns at inadequate action on student safety and wellbeing, the University should be investing in student welfare and educational experience, not in weapons research for the military-industrial complex.
On Tuesday 2 September 2025, the University of Melbourne announced they were pausing development of the Fishermans Bend Campus. UMSU, alongside other student advocates, has been adamant in our opposition to the Fishermans Bend Campus, and we see its cancellation as a victory against the increasing militarisation of higher education.
The Fishermans Bend Campus should be indefinitely paused. A campus prioritised towards weapons research and militarism has no place at the University of Melbourne.