The fate of the former Yeppoon TAFE campus has sparked controversy again, with former One Nation Keppel candidate James Ashby blasting plans for the site to become home to what he called an "Indigenous school for troubled kids.”

In a video posted to Facebook, Mr Ashby criticised the "secret" plan, stating, “the centre of Yeppoon is not the right location for a social experiment" and encouraged residents to contact Keppel MP Nigel Hutton and Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Adam Belot.

Mr Ashby said the former TAFE site, next to Yeppoon State High School, was the wrong location for a school for disengaged youth. "I have no objection to what they're trying to do, it's where they’re trying to do it,” he said, also raising concerns about the lack of public consultation. "The university should have opened it up to an open tender process,” he said.

The CQUniversity spokesperson confirmed discussions with Nullu Badi Ngudyubay Academy followed an Expression of Interest process but stated, "no formal agreements have been reached at this stage." A government covenant on the land requires it to be used for education, and CQUniversity believes the facility could provide valuable opportunities.

Mr Ashby suggested North Keppel Island (Konomie) as a more appropriate location and raised concerns about potential rivalry with Yeppoon State High School.

Nullu Badi Ngudyubay Academy responded, stating they had been transparent and that their goal is to "reengage students back into their educational journeys and provide them with a life of choice, not chance.” They denied branding themselves as an "Aboriginal school for troubled kids," emphasising their curriculum supports both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

Keppel MP Nigel Hutton hit back at Mr Ashby's claims, accusing him of misrepresenting the intent of the proposal. He stated the school is not a "reset facility for troubled teens" but an alternative education option providing hands-on learning and wraparound support services.