Qld agricultural colleges to remain open

TWO Queensland agricultural colleges will remain open despite their serious financial troubles, the state government says.

Agriculture Minister John McVeigh announced on Tuesday the Emerald Agricultural College and the Longreach Pastoral College will remain open.

The state government-owned Australian Agricultural College Corporation operates both colleges, a sustainable agricultural centre in Mareeba, a crop and grain training centre in Dalby and a cane growers training site in Mackay.

A spokeswoman for Mr McVeigh told AAP the government could not rule out closing some of the corporation's operations but so far decisions have only been made about the two colleges.

This follows a government commissioned review into the corporation's financial viability.

The Ernst and Young review found the corporation was at risk of running out of cash by the end of the 2012-13 financial year and it forecast a $5.5 million deficit.

Mr McVeigh said the government would work to turn the colleges' management and finances around.

"This ends any uncertainty for prospective students and their families," Mr McVeigh said in a statement.

"They can enrol in courses at either Emerald or Longreach and know that if they put in the hard yards, they can graduate with a recognised agriculture qualification."

The Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF) has welcomed the news and says it shows the minister is committed to finding a solution.

"The main objective must be about ensuring the best outcomes for agricultural training," QFF chief executive Dan Galligan said.

Original Article Here