‘Insulting’: Landmark building to be named after uni chief with multimillion-dollar payday
InDaily can reveal that an Adelaide Uni building will be named after the former UniSA Vice Chancellor, whose $3.112 million payday has attracted national criticism.
Backlash has emerged over news that the UniSA Enterprise Hub at 9 Light Square will be renamed the David Lloyd Building, paying tribute to the former Vice Chancellor who received a $3.112 million payday for one year’s work.
According to minutes from an academic board meeting of the University of South Australia on September 25, 2025, the building will be renamed to recognise “Prof David Lloyd’s sustained and distinguished service to UniSA for more than a decade”.
The minutes state that the existing Aboriginal name, Yangadlitya Kumangka, which means “for the future together”, would be retained for the heritage-listed building that once housed the Goldsbrough Mort Warehouse.
Calls for the decision to be immediately reversed have been led by the secretary of the South Australian branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, Dr Andrew Miller.
He labelled the decision “completely insulting” given what he claimed was staff distress and work overload during the merger when Lloyd was Vice Chancellor, Miller saying staff would be “extremely distressed and outraged”.
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“I think the university should reverse this decision, and it should also make transparent who and how these decisions were made, particularly the over $3 million golden handshake (sic) – people need to be held to account for these decisions,” he said.
It comes amid backlash over Lloyd’s total remuneration for the single year of 2025, which totalled $3.112 million, according to an independent auditor’s report tabled in State Parliament. The news revealed by InDaily has led to the Federal Education Minister saying last week that Vice Chancellor pay will be scrutinised at the highest level.
In a statement to InDaily today, the Honourable John Hill, who was previously Chancellor of the University of South Australia, said “Professor Lloyd was an outstanding and long-term leader” of UniSA and that the University Council “determined to honour his service by naming part of the campus after him”.
Hill confirmed that Lloyd was not involved in the decision to rename the building.
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“The 19th-century building on Light Square, which has been acquired by the University and repurposed as The Enterprise Hub, was chosen by the council because creating UniSA as the University of Enterprise was a strong part of his legacy,” Hill said.
“Professor Bradley was honoured during her lifetime with the naming of the Bradley Forum, and after her death, the Bradley Building on North Terrace. Professor Høj was honoured by the naming of the Høj Plaza, adjacent to the Jeffrey Smart Building.”
A spokesperson for the Adelaide University previously confirmed that the 2026 accounts for the University of South Australia would document an extra $1.451 million in remuneration for the former Vice Chancellor.
Adelaide University Vice Chancellor Professor Nicola Phillips released a video to staff last week apologising for the remuneration arrangements, saying that they “don’t meet community expectations in our society”.
In a statement to InDaily today, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said he was “gobsmacked” by the pay packet, saying, “I think most Australians would look at a payout of this size and shake their heads”.
“The council of the former University of South Australia need to explain this decision.”
Clare said that the Federal Government was currently working with the Remuneration Tribunal on a framework for Vice Chancellor pay.
InDaily has made attempts to contact Lloyd for comment.
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