New day for Ridgeway: Former TAFE campus to return to Southport community

• The site of the former Ridgeway TAFE campus on the Gold Coast will remain in public hands – with over three hectares of land at the site to be transferred to the City of Gold Coast for open space and a potential community facility.
• In addition, 2,200m² of the site will be transferred to the Department of Housing to build social housing for Queensland seniors.
• The former TAFE Ridgeway campus – located at 72 Ridgeway Avenue, Southport – was vacated in July 2012, with students relocated to the larger TAFE campus at Ashmore.
• The transfer of the former Ridgeway TAFE campus site is the result of extensive engagement with the City of Gold Coast and acknowledges the long-held views of the Gold Coast community about the importance of the site’s future.

Over three hectares of land on the former Ridgeway TAFE campus, which includes extensive green space, and remnant and valuable mature vegetation, will be transferred to City of Gold Coast for community open space as well as space for a future community facility.

Approximately 2,200m2 at the north-west corner of the site will also be transferred to Department of Housing, which aligns with the expectations following on from the Housing Summit in October 2022.

Proceeds from the reuse of the facility will be reinvested back into Queensland’s TAFE infrastructure portfolio to continue to provide world class training facilities for students.

Since 2017, the Palaszczuk Government has invested over $288 million in building new and upgrading existing training facilities across the state, including around $52 million invested in TAFE infrastructure on the Gold Coast.

We have recently invested in four TAFE sites on the Gold Coast including the $11.8 million Coomera Marine Centre of Excellence, the $10 million new Robina TAFE Campus, the $20 million Ashmore Trade Training Centre, and the $10 million Southport Nursing and Allied Health facility.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer:

“Once a centre for vocational education and training on the Gold Coast, it’s encouraging to see the site of the former Ridgeway TAFE Campus will continue to serve the public in the form of open space and potentially as a community facility.

“The announcement today delivers on a 2020 election commitment – keeping this land in public hands.

“I thank Gold Coast residents and all the passionate stakeholders who have continued to provide their views on the future of this important site.

“This is a very positive outcome and I look forward to seeing how the Gold Coast City Council will transform the site, to meet the needs of Queenslanders, while embracing the city’s unique lifestyle and environment.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Housing Meaghan Scanlon:

“This is an exciting redevelopment which will allow us to build more social housing for Queensland seniors,” she said.

“And as we focus on our Big Build delivering more social housing right across Queensland, we are also ensuring training opportunities are available for the next generation of tradies.

“While this TAFE site is no longer operational, there are more tradies being trained up at the nearby Ashmore TAFE campus and this helps us to secure the workforce needed for future construction of even more social housing for Queenslanders.”

Quotes attributable to City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate: 

“This has been a long-time coming and the City is pleased to have negotiated with the State Government to secure this community asset for Gold Coasters.

“Council has made sure this land will be used for park and community use, ensuring we stick to our commitment to deliver green space assets for the public to enjoy.”

Further information:

• The disposal of the former Ridgeway TAFE campus was approved by the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE (GCIT) Board in 2012.
• Prior to the closure of the campus, staff and students were integrated into the larger TAFE campus at Ashmore – with improved access to education support services.
• TAFE campuses across the Gold Coast include Ashmore, Coolangatta, Coomera and Coomera Marine, Southport and Robina.

Media contact: 

Minister Farmer - Nicola Field 0497 940 285