2016-05-16 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                      16 MAY 2016


The LNP government established Queensland Training Assets Management Authority (QTAMA)
to manage all State training assets. Since late 2014 a number of discussions and joint
inspections have occurred and Council has actively endeavoured to expedite a decision on the
future of the site.

The QTAMA Repeal Bill (2015) was passed by the Queensland Parliament on 15 July 2015
abolishing the Authority and returning the control of Queensland’s training assets to the
Department of Education & Training.

In the meantime the Tewantin campus assets have continued to deteriorate and remain vacant.

The current State Government has developed a State wide Consultation Paper – Developing a
Ten Year Strategic Training Asset Management Plan for Queensland (April 2016) – Refer
Attachment 1. The Minister has invited feedback over a broad range of possible aspects,
including, but not necessarily limited to:
    Key issues influencing training and skills in Queensland
    Trends and new training methods
    Effectiveness and suitability of training assets
    Options for training assets that don't meet community and training needs
    Ways the government can ensure that assets maximise training and skills outcomes
    The draft decision making framework being developed as part of the Strategic Training
      Asset Management Plan.

The Government’s intent is to use a decision making framework outlined in the consultation
paper to match training and skills demand with suitable asset management options. High level
principles have also been developed that give priority to the following needs:
1.    Training needs - primarily available for this purpose, priority access available for TAFE or
      other complementary training partners.
2.    Education needs – primarily available to support education services by the State
      Department for Education & Training or higher education parties; and/or higher education
      and training parties.
3.    Government needs – to support service delivery needs of State, Federal or Local
      government.
4.    Other needs – to support community needs, market-led and other proposals.

The planned approach appears reasonable.

CONSIDERATION OF COUNCIL POSITION

The approved Implementation Plan for the Noosa Economic Plan provides for Council to
continue to advocate for reactivation of the TAFE site to enable delivery of training and education
opportunities for the Noosa community. This aligns with the order of priorities 1 and 2 outlined in
the high level principles as set out above.

Council has no requirement for the site to meet its service needs under priority 3.

It is suggested that Council support the approach under priority 4 that market-led and other
proposals be “last resort” options for permanent solutions, but Council would also support this
approach in the short-term until the Government has determined its final position. It is
understood that CCIQ Noosa will be submitting a “Renew Australia” type model for use of the site
as a short term option which would limit further deterioration of the asset. The concept is



                                                                                      Page 39 of 53