Shafston International College has submitted plans for a major education and residential development in Rochedale, signalling a potential move from its long-standing Kangaroo Point campus.
Read: Development Plans Envision 28-Storey Tower Beside Shafston House
If approved, the project would see the college relocate by 2027 and expand its operations at a new masterplanned “knowledge precinct” in Brisbane’s south.
The development application (A006786626), lodged with Council, outlines a multi-stage transformation of a 37,500 sqm site on Miles Platting Road, near the Gateway Motorway. The site would host a purpose-built education hub accommodating 1000 students, alongside more than 400 residential units in buildings up to 11 storeys, retail and wellness outlets, office space, a gym, and 96 hotel-style rooms.
Shafston College, which has been based at Thorn Street since 1993, is aiming to broaden its course offerings and eventually transition into a full university. The proposed Rochedale campus would include general-purpose classrooms, specialist laboratories for IT and hospitality, and multiple lecture theatres with up to 200 seats each.
Stage one of the project would deliver the core education and short-term accommodation facilities at the front of the site. Later stages would roll out residential towers, a supermarket, green public spaces, and more commercial uses, creating a self-contained precinct aligned with the Rochedale urban community vision set out by council in 2014.
The move to Rochedale is part of the college’s long-term growth strategy. Town planners Saunders Havill Group said the new location would better serve a growing student population and offer improved infrastructure and amenities. Although no full project timeline has been confirmed, the college stated that major access roads for the site would not be needed until around 2040.
The college’s current premises include the historic Shafston House, a landmark building sold to Burgundy Group in 2021. The new owners have also received approval to redevelop parts of that property into high-rise apartments and luxury residences.
Read: Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposal to Restore and Reuse Shafston House
Should council give the green light, Shafston’s relocation would not only mark the end of an era at Kangaroo Point but could also trigger a long-awaited wave of development in Rochedale’s under-utilised town centre.
Published 17-June-2025
