STUDENT RETURN CORRIDOR NEEDS TO BE FAST-TRACKED

LAST year, the international student education market across Australia contributed $40.3bn to our domestic economy and was our fourth largest export. It is estimated that on average, one job is created for every three international students in Australia. The Gold Coast has worked hard for a quarter of a century to build our regional market to a sizeable $1.7bn employing 27,304 Gold Coasters.

Education and English second language providers in Surfers Paradise and across the Gold Coast are hurting and need assistance. They tell me what they desperately need is a sign of hope from the Queensland state government.

Recently, I met with the Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan to discuss the serious concerns of providers and a way forward for the sector on the Coast.

The federal government has set up an International Student’s Taskforce and has a plan. It’s available online at: https:// www.dese.gov.au/system/ files/doc/other/ protocols_and_precondition s_for_international_student_ arrivals_-_v.1.pdf

More than 411,000 Aussies have returned home since the Government advised Australians to reconsider their need to travel overseas. DFAT has helped over 30,800 Australians return on over 358 flights, including 10,100 people on 67 government-facilitated flights. Around 35,600 Australians are currently registered with DFAT as wanting to return.

The Minister’s plan is on the premise that international students must not displace the return of those returning Australians under flight caps or available quarantine. Our focus is rightly on safely bringing home our citizens first.

I’ve seen the letter dated Nov 6th that the Minister sent to all state and territory governments. It

Other regions are primed to take our place as a market leader

includes the protocol document and an offer from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to work with each jurisdiction to support the development and implementation of Student Arrival Plans. The deadline for accepting the plans from the states and territories is November 30, 2020.

The federal government has provided a roadmap for Queensland and every other state and territory to proceed with confidence to welcome back international students.

Once again, on behalf of our business community, I appeal to the Premier for certainty around border reopening plans. I ask the Premier to provide a signal of hope right now for those families affected by the COVID recession who are the same businesses currently held up by JobKeeper and other 20-21 Budget measures. I respectfully ask the Premier to fast-track the ‘Safe Student Corridor to the Gold Coast’ submission that Study Gold Coast has put forward to the Queensland government and to deliver it to Minister Tehan within the deadline. Angie Bell, MP, Member for Moncrieff