Examining WA's proposed university merger, and why it's causing concern

The Western Australian government wants to merge three of its public universities — the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and Murdoch University.

But this week's announcement that a business case is being developed has raised a host of questions about the impact on students, staff, the economy and taxpayers.

What's behind the merger?

The government argues a merger would greatly benefit the state and create a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

WA Premier Roger Cook says it would provide maximum economic benefit for the state, improve outcomes for students, boost research funding, retain and attract students and address low degree completion rates.

Education Minister Tony Buti says the state currently has "duplicated offerings, fragmented investment and limited scale across our universities".

He says WA's universities are in a "race to the bottom" and the reforms are necessary to ensure the sector is "world-class".

How will it work?

Many of the specifics remain unclear, but it's anticipated it would lead to a "mega-university" of almost 120,000 students.

The universities say that is a scale unmatched in Australia and rare internationally, while the government argues it would keep the sector competitive and attract more students and investment.

Details about a potential name or campus arrangements are not yet known.

While the government suggests the move would make the tertiary education system more financially efficient, there are no assurances it would lead to cheaper degrees.

"The critical question — what will this actually cost the taxpayers, who they expect to foot the bill if they take this up — is still unanswered," shadow education minister Liam Staltari said.

The merger does not affect Edith Cowan University, which last year moved into a new $853 million CBD campus, or Notre Dame in Fremantle.

What are the unis saying?

Curtin's vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne expressed "deep concern" and claimed it was a costly process to "fix something that is not broken".

She said Curtin would "vigorously oppose" a potential amalgamation, saying it "solves problems we don't have and creates problems we don't need".

Murdoch's VC Andrew Deeks was equally critical, saying the merger would "absolutely not" give WA students a better education.

Meanwhile, UWA struck a more neutral tone, with its VC Amit Chakma praising the state government's "strategic direction", while stopping short of endorsing the proposal as a whole.

"My support is based on aspirations. It has nothing to do with our current-day [financial] situation," he told 102.5 ABC Perth.

"Are there issues? Of course there are issues. But the aspiration is based off what Western Australia can be 10 years, 20 years, 30 years from now, and what role universities can play in that."

What are students saying?

Students are expressing concern, with some claiming it fails to take their interests into account.

Curtin law and international relations student Ebony Whitney told the ABC she feared a merger could significantly disrupt current students.

"It's pretty scary, to be completely honest," she said.

"I'll have Curtin on my certificate, and down the track employers look at where you studied. If that institution doesn't exist any more, it's going to be quite a bad look."

Curtin Student Guild president Dylan Storer fears students could fall through the cracks in a much larger university.

"It's the loss of choice, it's the monopolisation of … tertiary education here in Western Australia, it's reducing options, but also reducing that diversity that is really important," he said.

Has it been done anywhere else?

WA appears to be following the lead of South Australia, which merged the University of South Australia and University of Adelaide to create Adelaide University.

That university opened its doors in January and was projected to be one of the larger higher education institutions in the nation, with modelling suggesting it would bring $500 million to the state's economy each year.

However, a report last month found the new amalgamated university was not on track to meet its international student targets and is staring down tens of millions in lost revenue.

What happens next?

The government will carry out the business case with input from a steering committee chaired by Mark Barnaba.

Mr Barnaba says a merger would be good for the state and has dismissed suggestions it would result in job cuts.

Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of WA university staff surveyed by the National Tertiary Education Union oppose the merger, with the union vowing to vehemently fight the proposal.

The findings of the business case are set to be presented by the middle of 2027, the government says.