International House is a challenge we should not shy away from
Every other day, a skirmish erupts in Sydney's never-ending fight between housing and heritage. It is often cast in binary terms, as if it is simply a clash between the old and the new, or the ageing against the young.
The truth is not as simple as NIMBY baby boomers clinging on to their vast gardens as entire generations are doomed to confinement in sky-high dystopian boxes and as housing becomes less affordable.
Sydney does have a 'missing middle' the state government has been trying to address by adding hundreds of thousands of new dwellings in the coming years under the National Housing Accord.
With all this in mind, it is tempting to dismiss space for 200 students as a drop in the ocean, but the sad state of disrepair at Sydney University's International House is both instructive and symbolic.
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As higher education reporter Christopher Harris details today, International House has gone from a cheery site with 'compact, comfortable and bright' student rooms when it opened in 1967 to a derelict place where water pools on the floor and mould crawls through the walls. It is a dispiriting sight. While not heritage-listed, it is a place with history and character that could enrich the life of the city if looked after.
Student accommodation is an important piece of the housing affordability puzzle.
International students have been blamed for driving up rents, but this is unfair since, as the Herald has reported, they are facing skyrocketing accommodation costs themselves. Weekly rent at some buildings has passed $700 for a room in a small shared apartment, students have told of spending more than half their income on rent, and the situation can fairly be described as a crisis.
UNSW and Sydney University have said they are attempting to keep prices at 75 per cent of the market rate. University accommodation, as Harris reports, is not officially considered affordable housing under state planning rules. This is something the University of Sydney is keen to change.
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Sydney Morning Herald
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The Age
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- The Age
‘Jews not allowed': SafeWork savages Sydney University over antisemitism on campus
It said antisemitic activism on campus consisted of student activist groups. In one example, which occurred during the orientation week for new students, it said a stand run by the Australian Union of Jewish Students was approached by three women who aggressively ripped the Israeli flag off the stall desk, in front of four Jewish volunteers, causing items to fall off the table. 'They put the flag in the nearby rubbish bin, took a photo of it and then left,' the report said. It noted that inside a passageway known as the graffiti tunnel, there were Israeli flags with a red circle and line across the middle with words, 'zio punks', 'Gaza will be free'. There were 'Nazi Germany' swastika stickers painted on walls of the tunnel as well graffiti stating 'Israel has no right to exist'. Other examples included Palestinian activists using a megaphone chanting 'there is only one solution, intifada revolution' – interpreted by Jewish workers and students as a reference to Nazi Germany. Loading Noticeboards around campus promoted the organising of a 'student intifada'. There were also posters which said: 'Between us and them are mountains of paradise, hatred, blood, wailing and long-lasting revenge'. Southern Cross University associate professor Andy Smidt, who left Sydney University in February 2024, made the original complaint and said she felt vindicated by its findings. She is still an adjunct associate professor at Sydney. 'The idea that we are seen, we are heard. It was absolutely vindicating,' she said. 'There's a perception that the Jews on campus were whingeing … Someone external to the university could see clearly that the atmosphere was toxic.' SafeWork NSW did not respond to questions about why a full investigation was not carried out. Sydney University's senior deputy vice-chancellor and provost Annamarie Jagose said throughout the significant challenges of last year, the institution 'took a strong stance against antisemitism and decisive action to stand firmly against hate in all forms'. 'We've implemented new measures and complaints related to antisemitism have declined substantially over the last 12 months – but we know even a single complaint is one too many,' she said. 'We've co-operated fully with SafeWork NSW's inquiries and appreciate the care they've taken in examining this matter, as well as the consideration they've given to activities on campus since October 7, 2023 and how we've managed resulting events and risks.'
AU Financial Review
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Antisemitism probe finds ‘workplace of fear' at Sydney Uni
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