The centre will offer local students the support and modern facilities needed to undertake tertiary education without needing to leave the area.

Minister for Regional Education Bridget McKenzie said the centre would significantly boost higher education outcomes for current and future students in Mount Isa and the surrounding region.

"Once this centre is up and running, local students won't need to leave home and relocate to study. Instead, they will be able to enrol in a university course and complete a degree or another tertiary qualification. Their skills could stay in the region and help the community," Ms McKenzie said.

A Regional University Centre is a regional facility students can use to study tertiary courses locally delivered by distance from any Australian institution. Centres provide: study spaces, break out areas, video conferencing, computer facilities and high-speed internet access.

The Mount Isa City Council has been lobbying for $20 million in state or federal funding to develop a campus-style university centre in Mount Isa.

"A centre would keep kids local so that there's a chance they stay on after their tertiary education and stay in Mount Isa," Councillor George Fortune said.

Mount Isa students can complete health studies at the James Cook University in town and access TAFE courses. But Cr Fortune said a university centre would enable students to pursue other courses and had the backing of one of the city's biggest employers.

"Mount Isa Mines would be interested in having something like this here ... there has been dialogue with them in the past.

"There's a lack of mining engineers in Mount Isa and across Australia."

While many support the plan, not all councillors see eye-to-eye.

Councillor Kim Coghlan said she was sceptical the university centre would be able to recruit enough staff.

"I think it's unrealistic, it's a bit pie-in-the sky," Cr Coghlan told a council meeting.

"We have enough trouble staffing existing education facilities as it is."

The council will put forward its motion for the university centre at the annual Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference in October.

There are currently 40 Regional University Centres across Australia and only three centres in Queensland at Roma, Dirranbandi and St George.

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