What's the name of the complex? Its a good idea to see the place before you sign a lease. There are some big corporate style housing complexes for students like Unilodge, Southbank, and Campus Villages. In reality you will probably have fewer problems with the big corporate places than with individual landlords/realty companies. Its probably better if you go through a big realty company than with an individual landlord.
UQ housing is really expensive, and they make you buy a meal plan, plus you will have to put up with undergraduate students(loud noise, vomit in the bathrooms, etc).
St. Lucia where you will have your first year classes is kind of expensive, there are some areas nearby that are decent in terms of price in Toowong and Indooripilly. Try Yahoo Australia, they usually have a pretty detailed list. Brisbane is small enough that as long as you live in a Zone 1 or 2 bus area, its not going to be terribly hard to get to school, they even have a boat that goes the campus, a bit of gimic if you ask me because buses are much faster. Try to make some friends with your classmates, so you can share a residence, that could cut your living costs by a decent amount. I would advise against going into sharehouses with people you do not know, I actually did this and it was a big mistake.