The University of Sydney says it has a “once-in-a-century opportunity to build a multidisciplinary education and research campus in the heart of Western Sydney,” and a triennial chance to announce it.

Yesterday’s statement is like one from, 2016, when the university stated it intended to create facilities for 6000 students at its Westmead site, (CMM April 1 2016. The university now has 2200 students there.

Back then the focus was on health and medicine but the updated proposal extends to AI, advanced manufacturing, and “solving radical inequality for the future”.

The university says the proposal is subject to negotiations with the state government but is supported by regional lobbies, UNSW, CSIRO and Western Sydney U, which has a major investment in neighbouring Parramatta. There is no truth to suggestions that WSU wanted to create a campus near the University of Sydney’s main location, but decided the price of a terrace house in Newtown was too high.