Australia’s international education sector is our largest service export outside mining, contributing more than $50 billion annually and employing over 200,000 people. Yet housing shortages and affordability pressures are impacting students’ wellbeing and academic success.

In this episode, host Ryan Banting explores why Australia lags behind global peers in student accommodation, the role private capital plays in supporting the growth and evolution of the sector, and how purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) can transform the student experience.

Key insights include:

• Nearly one in three university students in Australia is international.
• In 2024, more than one million international students studied here, driving economic value across hospitality, retail and tourism.
• Australia has just one PBSA bed for every 15 students, compared to 45% penetration in the United Kingdom.

Joining Ryan are two leading voices in the sector:

• Torie Brown, Executive Director, Student Accommodation Council, Property Council of Australia
• Bradley Brown, Regional General Manager (Victoria), UniLodge

Links:

• CBRE Pacific Student Accommodation Report 2025 - https://www.cbre.com.au/insights/reports/student-accommodation-2025-pacific
• Property Council of Australia April 2024 – Myth busting international student’s role in the rental crisis - https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/submissions/myth-busting-international-students-role-in-the-rental-crisis

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