The ACT government will spend $11 million to develop a Tuggeranong campus for Canberra Institute of Technology in next month's ACT budget, with courses to begin in 2016.
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The project, which delivers on a 2012 election promise, is still short on detail, with Education Minister Joy Burch and CIT unable to provide student or staff numbers, or say which courses would be offered at Tuggeranong.
Ms Burch said the shift to Tuggeranong was part of the relocation of students from the ageing Woden campus, with the government also considering moving what remained of CIT facilities in Woden closer to the town centre.
"As part of our modernisation strategy we will see a significant move out of the Woden campus, it is an ageing campus it is not fit for purpose in a modern teaching environment," she said.
An existing building in the heart of the Tuggeranong town centre would be "repurposed" for the new campus, she said, but did not disclose which building, saying the government was in the final stages of lease negotiations.
CIT already has a presence in Tuggeranong, but a spokesperson said it was for online courses rather than face-to-face teaching.
The new campus would accommodate "students in the hundreds", and would focus on business management and accounting.
acting deputy chief executive Nicole Stenlake said there were about 100 staff and several hundred students in Woden.
No decisions had been made on the future of the Woden campus but CIT would consult with staff, industry and the community, she said.
As for courses to be offered in Tuggeranong, Dr Stenlake said CIT would do market research before finalising the offering.
It was looking to broaden its student base, including courses to upskill professionals, and training for small and medium businesses.
It would not replicate other campuses but would be new, innovative, use the latest education technology and connect with business and industry.
Australian Education Union ACT secretary Glenn Fowler welcomed the announcement but said the union expected a "sophisticated change management process with the downscaling of the Woden campus".
"There will be a whole host of issues arising from that and we expect that the workforce will be treated with appropriate respect," Mr Fowler said.
Tuggeranong will be a significant battleground for the 2016 territory election, given local opposition to the government's light rail project linking Gungahlin and the city.
The Liberals will be counting on gaining three of the five Tuggeranong seats if they are to have a chance at winning government.
With the budget to be brought down on June 2, the government has already announced further cuts to stamp duty for people buying homes, $1.3 million during four years for more mobile speed cameras, and $800,000 to tackle problems with the drug ice.
