Young Queenslanders wanting to pursue high education might see themselves deprived from it, as the region faces a critical shortage of university places. 

The problem is already starting to affect other fast-growing areas of the country and the federal government is injecting billions of dollars to fight the issue, at the same time as it eases, to one day eventually completely remove the cap on commonwealth-supported places at universities.

However, it is possible that, even if all caps are removed by 2012, universities still won’t be able to meet the government targets. Rudd’s government wants to raise the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with higher qualification from 32 to 40% by 2025.

A report cited by The Australian estimates that the Gold Coast needs to raise undergraduate numbers by 130%, or 30,000, by 2027, in order to meet the target. There are currently only 15 commonwealth-support places per 1000 people in the region, with a population if 525,000 set to increase to 860,000 by 2027.

"If we aren't going to be putting in the capital to create spaces, we are going to have a terrible shortage in the future," said Gold Coast city councillor Susie Douglas, chair of the economic development committee. "We will have a city of people who won't be encouraged to send their children to university."