Petrie students who want a career in manufacturing or the trades will soon have a purpose-built TAFE centre a short walk from the train station.
The Queensland Government announced the news this week and said Queensland company FKG Group has been appointed as contractor. Petrie is the second of four such centres to begin construction across the state. Rockhampton got going earlier this year.
What is Planned for the Site
An Advanced Manufacturing Hub sits at the heart of the plan. Around it, the government says, will be training space for metal fabrication, engineering and trades, plus instrumentation labs and rooms built for industry to work alongside students. The Department of Trade, Employment and Training lists construction, engineering and electrotechnology as the centre’s main focus.
The hub is aimed at the region’s manufacturing sector, which both the state government and the City of Moreton Bay describe as a billion-dollar industry. Designs are still subject to change, the department notes.
Why Petrie?
So why build here? Part of the answer is the land. The centre will go up at Moreton Bay Central on a site the City of Moreton Bay transferred for the project. The council says it is the third-largest local government in Australia by population, so a large pool of future students lives close by.
Nearby, the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre is planned as a venue for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mayor Peter Flannery said the land transfer should lead to more jobs in high-demand fields and strengthen the area’s name as a hub for education and technology.
What Locals and Leaders are Saying
For Kerri-Anne Dooley, the Member for Redcliffe, the appeal is simple. Manufacturing and construction matter in her area, and a campus close to home means thousands of people can study without leaving the community. Ariana Doolan, the Member for Pumicestone, agreed and said the training should lead locals into rewarding careers.
TAFE Queensland chief executive Tim Rawlings focused on the learning itself. He said students and apprentices will get hands-on training in advanced manufacturing, construction, engineering and electrotechnology. Close ties with employers and government, he said, should keep courses in step with what workplaces need and send graduates out job-ready from day one.
Manufacturing Minister Dale Last added that a skilled workforce is key to the industry’s future growth.
Part of a Bigger Plan
Petrie is one piece of a $201.1 million state investment. The other centres are planned for the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, where the focus will be marine training. The government describes the four centres as an election commitment.
Minister Ros Bates said communities across Queensland need more tradies and skilled workers, and that the new facility is meant to help fill those gaps while supporting housing, infrastructure and Games preparations. The government points to a predicted peak shortfall of 50,000 construction workers, though it has not said where that figure comes from.
No completion date for the Petrie centre has been announced.
Published Date 07-October-2026
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