Shafston College to quit Kangaroo Point in move to Rochedale super hub

One of Brisbane’s best-known colleges will quit its inner-city digs for a mega “knowledge precinct’’ in a booming southside suburb. SEE THE PLANS

Artist's impression of how part of the educational campus could look. Image: DKO

Shafston International College will move out of its Kangaroo Point base in 2027 and move into a massive, multistage new “knowledge precinct’’ next to the Rochedale town centre in Brisbane’s south.

The college, which has been at Thorn St since 1993, submitted a masterplan to council which included space for 1000 students, more than 400 residential units in towers up to 11 storeys, a shopping centre, gym, health outlets and 96 hotel-style rooms.

The precinct would be built over 11 stages on a 37,500 sqm site fronting 318 Miles Platting Rd, near the Gateway Mwy business precinct.

In 2021 Burgundy Group bought the five-level strata office building where business students were currently based for a reported $20m from multi millionaire shipping magnate Keith Lloyd.

The sale included Shafston House, one of the oldest homesteads in Brisbane.

Artist's impression of how part of the educational campus could look. Image: DKO

Mr Lloyd held one of the city’s biggest ever auctions on site, where for many years he had parked his super yacht — guarded by two antique canons.

Burgundy has since been approved to build a highly controversial townhouse and high-rise unit development on part of the site, plus a conversion of Shafston House into luxury apartments.

The college said its plans could kickstart revitalisation of the area, which had stalled because a long-promised new Gateway Mwy access road had not been built.

Render of how the knowledge precinct might look. Image: DKO

But it said new access roads would not be needed to service its development until about 2040.

Shafston has educated about 120,000 students over the years and currently has campuses at the Kangaroo Point site, where it first started, plus two in Southport and another in Sydney.

“The college is seeking to relocate and expand its operations to 318 Miles Platting Rd, Rochedale to better meet the needs of its growing student body,’’ town planners Saunders Havill Group said in the development application (DA) lodged on June 6.

“The college plans to broaden its educational offerings, including a move to a larger campus and the launch of a comprehensive tertiary program, as it transitions into ‘Shafston university’.

“Planned facilities will include a mix of general-purpose classrooms, lecture theatres and specialist teaching laboratories.

“The campus will feature two to three lecture theatres, each with a capacity of 200 students.

“Specialist teaching laboratories will also be included as part of the campus, catering for IT and hospitality training needs.’’

The education and short-term accommodation precincts, stage 1, would be near the front of the site.

The strata office building currently used by Shafston business students.

Retail, office and other uses would be in the middle of the property, which would feature a large green spine.

Residential units would be in the northern areas of the site.

Stages 2 and 3 included office space and 170 units, with 366 bedrooms.

Stages 4 and 5 would have 132 units with 261 bedrooms. There would be 125 units (249 beds) in stages 6 and 7.

Stages 9 and 10 would see a supermarket and more office space built, while the 96 short-term accommodation units would be built in the final stage.

No project time frame was given.

How the green central spine would look. Image: DKO

Saunders Havill said the build-to-sell apartments and terrace homes would add to limited housing stock in the area and were ideally sited near a planned Metro station.

The short-term accommodation could also be used by business travellers and visitors.

The food and drink outlets, retail space including supermarket, gym and wellness components, would “create a vibrant hub that supports the day-to-day needs of the local community’’.

Aerial view of the Rochedale land.

“While uses developed to date in the Rochedale town centre have not fully aligned with the original vision, more recent proposals such as the Rochedale Terrace development proposal at 400 Miles Platting Rd and this knowledge precinct at 318 Miles Platting Rd provide an opportunity to really deliver on the original precinct vision,’’ the town planners said.

“In 2014, when the Rochedale urban community neighbourhood plan was introduced, council’s vision for the area was to create an integrated and masterplanned urban community with a mix of uses,’’ it said.

A new site access to the west of School Rd would be built for stages 1-7.

There would also be a new northern approach to the Miles Platting Rd/School Rd signalised intersection at a future time.

More details on council’s online DA portal developmenti. Search for 318 Miles Platting Rd or application A006786626

Originally published as Shafston College to quit Kangaroo Point in move to Rochedale super hub