Possible controlled July return for foreign students
INTERNATIONAL students may be able to travel to Australia as early as next month.
Authorities are working on a proposal that would allow students to travel to Australia on a pre-approved plan with particular institutions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the appropriate quarantine entry requirements and biosecurity measures would have to be in place.
“I would hope to be in a position to do pilots next month,” he said. The plan is contingent on the states opening their borders before international students can arrive.
“If you want to open up borders for international students, then you have to open up borders for Australians,” Mr Morrison told the premiers.
Mr Morrison said he wasn’t concerned that Chinese students would be deterred from coming to Australia after Beijing warned about racist attacks. However, he said there was still work to do before any international students can arrive.
“I’m not suggesting this is going to happen soon,” he said.
“We’ve received some very, I think, well thought through proposals from states as to how this can be done, particularly here in the ACT.” Australia’s borders have been closed to non-citizens and non-residents since March.
Universities Australia chief Catriona Jackson said a trial approach was sensible.
“Any trial will rigorously test the controlled entry of international students and will include robust quarantine arrangements put in place by state and territory governments,” she said.
A 71-YEAR-OLD man was found dead inside a unit after a gas cylinder exploded and caused a fire at a group of single-storey flats in Adelaide.
A neighbour, 49, tried to help the elderly man and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Another person was also treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
Police, fire brigade units and paramedics were called to the St Morris home about 7am yesterday after two units caught alight. One was destroyed, while $200,000 worth of damage was caused to an adjoining property.