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THE HOME OF UPC
Bankstown City is located in Sydney's south western suburbs - between 13 and 23 kilometres south west of the centre of Sydney and has a total population of approximately 165,000 residents from over 160 different countries. There are more than 1090 hectares of parkland for recreation and is close to the Georges River National Park.
Recreation: With the picturesque Georges River, Georges River National Park, and more than 350 parks and sporting reserves in Bankstown, there are plenty of parklands and recreational places to enjoy. You can have a picnic with friends at Mirambeena Regional Park, try boating or water-skiing on the Georges River, take a bushwalk, enjoy a social or organised sporting match, or take a leisurely walk along the river foreshores.
Sport, food and shopping: There are sophisticated sporting facilities, many and varied restaurants with food from around the world and excellent shopping from small boutique outlets to a large shopping complex. The city has a natural charm making it very attractive to residents.
Getting around: Situated not far from the home of the 2000 Olympics. Bankstown is well serviced by several road networks, such as the Hume Highway, M5 Motorway and M5 East. Two separate railway lines directly link the area to Sydney's central business district (at peak times, a train leaves Bankstown for the inner city every 15 minutes). Bankstown is also home to Bankstown Airport, the largest general aviation airport in the southern hemisphere. Here you can board a plane and take a tour over the Blue Mountains, Sydney Harbour or anywhere else you can think of in Australia, including the outback. If you need to fly further Sydney International Airport is only 20 minutes by motorway.
UPC is situated a short walk from the centre of Bankstown, close to trains, bus transport and affordable eating places.
As a holder of a Student Visa, once you have started at UPC you can apply to Immigration for permission to work. We will help you do this in your orientation program. When permission is granted, you are allowed to work part time (up to 20 hours per week) provided this does not interfere with your studies.
You are permitted to work more than 20 hours per week during college holidays.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation around UPC campus at Bankstown includes rental apartments and larger 3 and 4 bedroom houses close to the train station and they are very popular with overseas
students. Students wishing to live independently closer to the centre of the
city will find a huge choice of properties.
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UPC House
In 2008 UPC House was born, providing short term accommodation for up to ten students. UPC House has good facilities including study area and internet connection. There are also comfortable areas for relaxation and TV watching plus a large outdoor area for BBQ's and socialising. UPC House is much in demand.
Homestay Australia
Alternatively, UPC can assist with Homestay arrangements through Homestay Australia and the UPC Guardianship Program. You can live with an Australian family or with a family that speaks your first language
(Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean homes are available through our UPC network.)
We will set up and supervise accommodation arrangements for students under 18 years of age. Guardians and family members that accommodate younger students will be screened by UPC and permission must be granted by the parents.
Once your application is processed, the Student
Support Manager can be contacted to help with your accommodation planning.
On request, students enrolled with UPC will be placed in accommodation with Homestay Australia (www.homestay-australia.com) as a first choice. The following is an extract from its website, outlining the organization:
"Homestay Australia is an accommodation placement service providing accommodation for overseas students and travellers with carefully selected Australian families. For the past fifteen years Homestay Australia
has provided accommodation options, Airport Transfer, information relating to the Australian culture, and has dealt with social problems that some students and travellers encounter when they first come to Australia .
With all accommodation offered, either Homestay or Shared House, a representative of Homestay Australia has visited the premises, initiated Police Check procedures and has recorded that the accommodation is
suitable for International students.
Homestay families are visited and checked every twelve months on average.
The delivery of high quality service has, at all times, been a major aspect of our performance and our work experience to date has been highlighted by our ability to relate well and work effectively with a diverse range of people." |
For those students who wish to initially stay with a family who can speak their mother tongue, UPC Guardianship Network will provide an alternative.
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