Counting down to university opening at Petrie

In just a couple of months, USC Moreton Bay will open its doors but it’s just the beginning of Petrie’s rejuvenation. We take a look at the project and what it means for the region.

USC Moreton Bay campus at Petrie. Artist impression of the entrance.

The opening of USC Moreton Bay in February will be a significant moment in the region’s history, heralding a new era in opportunity for students and the community.

The campus, on the site of the old Petrie Paper Mill, is nearing completion and will be ready to cater for up to 1200 students in its first year.

USC Chief Operating Officer Dr Scott Snyder says it will be a full-service university, offering almost 50 jobs-focused undergraduate degrees in health, business, education, communications and design, environmental science, psychology and social sciences.

“We are also introducing three new programs which will only be offered at USC Moreton Bay – degrees in Engineering (Mechatronics) (Honours), Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) (Honours) and Computer Science,” Dr Snyder says.

“Our foundation building will have everything you’d expect from a world-class university – all within three levels under one roof. The top level has the majority of our nursing and engineering labs, the second level is predominantly for staff offices and meeting spaces, and the ground level is all about easy access to learning spaces and the auditorium as well as services including the library, the service centre, cafe and end-of-trip facilities.

USC Moreton Bay auditorium artist impression.

“$15 million worth of state-of-the-art technology will be included in the foundation building including specialist areas such as nursing simulation labs, engineering facilities with specialist areas, and a 120-seat SuperLab for chemical experiments.”

It’s just the beginning, the wider USC Moreton Bay precinct will be developed over time and will anchor off The Mill at Moreton Bay – a civic, cultural and business precinct planned by Moreton Bay Regional Council and expected to be completed by 2036.

“There’s so much excitement among the principals, teachers, parents, students and industry people we’ve spoken to, including those that, for so many reasons have not been able to successfully reach their goals due to the challenge of distance, family commitments and work – until now,” Dr Synder says.

“Not only is the community very welcoming and excited, but our staff – many of whom live in the region – are eager to get started.”

USC Moreton Bay nursing learning space artist impression.

Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Allan Sutherland says the campus will be an economic and jobs driver in the region.

“Right now, we are struggling to create enough jobs to match our population growth. People are leaving Moreton Bay to work,” Cr Sutherland says.

“We have the opportunity to create the next Silicon Valley. We have the opportunity to create places for people to work and play so they may continue to live in the region.”

Cr Sutherland says, with this in mind, the council has made the decision to create an independent and expert board to guide future development and investment at The Mill at Moreton Bay site.

“Free from political influence. Free from electoral cycles. This provides business with confidence to invest,” he explains.

“Qualified experts will be recruited to make decisions in the community’s interest … to develop the land around at The Mill site. This is an opportunity on a parcel of land 50 per cent bigger than the Brisbane CBD.”

In addition to this, the board will ensure initiatives continue such as the koala protection and monitoring program in conjunction with USC.

Demographer Bernard Salt.

OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME

Australia’s leading demographer Bernard Salt and Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp have backed Moreton Bay Regional Council’s move to secure the future of The Mill site at Petrie.

The council will establish a board to oversee the precinct’s development, known as MillCo.

Mr Salt says this decision would not just improve the current quality of life, but improve the quality of life of future residents.“I absolutely do think it’s the right thing for the local council to get right behind the university and the railway, and anything else that delivers job opportunities and fluidity to this part of southeast Queensland,” he explains.

“It’s about more than just maintaining the status quo, you have a responsibility in elected political office to think about the future,” he says. “I’d love to see a greater emphasis on the development of professional jobs and I think once the university’s up and running, five or six years later you’ll see a stronger professional job element moving into the demographic.”

Queensland's Chief Entrepreneur Leanne Kemp.

Ms Kemp says it’s an exciting decision that marks the start of something big. 

“The Mill PDA is a bold new vision for the region. As Queensland’s Chief Entrepreneur, and a proud local from Samford Valley, I am excited at the prospect of what’s been proposed to transform a large site into an innovation hub,” she says.

“The Mill is driven by a strong vision, based firmly in the community and will be a technology-enabled precinct which will become a shining example of a space that will help us as we transform smart cities into intelligent communities.”

“This announcement and proposal for The Mill is a point in time we will look back on in 10 years’ time as the acorn of an idea that grew into a mighty oak.”