Regions Cop Another Hit With TAFE Closures

Media Release 

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says the Newman Government’s proposed closure of 38 TAFE campuses will hit hardest at regional communities.

“In the election campaign the LNP was not letterboxing regional communities promising to take away their local TAFE facilities,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“It is now up to the Minister for Training, John-Paul Langbroek, to identify which regional centres will lose their TAFE facilities and how locals are meant to access TAFE courses.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the Queensland Skills and Training Taskforce had recommended the shrinkage of TAFE campus numbers in:

• Far North Queensland from 26 to 15 campuses 
•  Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast from 13 to eight campuses 
•  Gold Coast from six to three campuses 
•  Brisbane’s Western Corridor from 16 to 11 campuses 
•  Brisbane Metropolitan Region from 15 to 5 campuses 
•  Skills Tech Australia from six to two campuses in the Brisbane region.

“Mr Langbroek needs to explain whether shrinking the number of campuses delivering training to Queenslanders from 82 to 44 will mean the loss of jobs and the loss of community assets and facilities,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“He also needs to explain if access to TAFE will be maintained for local students in centres losing their campus.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the State Opposition would be examining the full report in coming days.