Builders have started hauling heavy machinery into Petrie, as construction commences on the University of the Sunshine Coast's new campus.

When completed, the multi-storey building will boast a large lecture theatre, an auditorium and a number of teaching rooms.

It will accommodate 1200 students studying up to 50 courses including business, education and computer sciences.

"There's some quite innovative spaces inside the building," Greg Baumann, from building company Hansen Yuncken, said.

Construction at the site has officially begun. (9NEWS)

Positioned next to the Petrie train station, the new campus will slash travel times for thousands of students who live between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Greg Hill said the lack of university locations north of the city has seen up to 1500 students travel from the Moreton Bay area to the Sunshine Coast campus every week day.

"Moreton Bay is one of Queensland's fastest growing regions, but has been the only region of its size in Australia without its own full-service university campus," Professor Hill said.

"You have a better chance of finding a young person with a degree in outback Northern Territory, than you do in Caboolture.

"It's an outstanding statistic, and we're going to do something to fix it."

An artist's impression of the new campus. (Supplied)

The new campus has the full support of the Moreton Bay mayor, who described the development as "well overdue".

"This is just fantastic for the future of the young people of the Moreton Bay region" Allan Sutherland said.

"There are a lot of families here that just never even envisaged that they would end up going to university. All that is about to change."