Canberra's Major Education Investment: New $114 Million Gungahlin College Campus
The Australian Capital Territory is set to enhance its educational landscape with a significant new development in Canberra's northern suburbs. A second campus for Gungahlin College has been officially detailed, representing a $114 million investment in the region's growing educational needs.
Strategic Location and Campus Design
The new educational facility will be strategically positioned at the corner of Clarrie Hermes Drive and Kelleway Avenue in Nicholls. This location places it within a key education precinct, adjacent to Gold Creek School, Perce Douglas Memorial Playing Fields, Holy Spirit Primary School, and St John Paul II College.
Current architectural plans indicate the campus will initially accommodate 800 students, though the site possesses capacity for expansion to 1100 students through additional permanent or temporary infrastructure. The development will feature two main buildings complemented by dedicated outdoor sports facilities.
Comprehensive Educational Facilities
The first building, a two-storey structure nearest to Kelleway Avenue, will house comprehensive educational resources. These include standard classrooms, administrative offices, staff facilities, and specialised learning environments. The campus will feature dedicated spaces for practical education including wood technology and food technology workshops, alongside facilities for both 2D and 3D artistic expression.
Scientific education will be supported through well-equipped laboratories, while a dedicated library will serve as a central learning hub. The second building will focus on physical education and performing arts, containing a double gymnasium, fitness laboratory, theatrette, and specialised classrooms for music, drama, and dance instruction.
Extensive Sporting Infrastructure
On the eastern side of the campus, closer to the Nicholls District Playing Fields, the development will include substantial outdoor sporting facilities. Planning documents reveal a mixed-use oval suitable for soccer and rugby, two tennis courts, and two multi-purpose courts designed for basketball and netball activities.
Years of Strategic Planning
This development responds directly to identified educational needs in the growing Gungahlin region. The 2023 Gungahlin District Strategy highlighted that primary school and college capacity would become a significant gap in community facilities as population growth continues.
The site was initially announced in 2023 before receiving funding allocation in the 2023-24 budget. Financial planning indicates approximately 17 percent of the total budget has been allocated for the 2025-26 period, with an additional $90 million designated for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years through forward estimates.
Broader Educational Context
The Gungahlin region currently hosts six government primary schools, three combined schools offering preschool through year 10 education, two high schools, and one existing college. Additionally, six non-government schools operate within the area.
In 2025, the original Gungahlin College operated at 87.71 percent capacity with 1,114 students enrolled against a maximum capacity of 1,270. The new campus is anticipated to commence operations before the conclusion of the current decade.
Complementary ACT Education Projects
This development forms part of a broader educational infrastructure program across the Australian Capital Territory. The ACT Government plans to open a new primary school in Belconnen during 2026, while another primary school is currently under construction in the Molonglo Valley region.
The Whitlam school project is scheduled for completion in 2027, coinciding with significant upgrades to Narrabundah College. That $31.9 million refurbishment project is also expected to reach completion in 2027, representing additional investment in Canberra's educational infrastructure.
