UK, US poaching from broken $5b Qld sector

International students are flocking to other nations as Australia continues to struggle with a way forward, despite the sector being worth up to $5 billion for the Queensland economy.

Some of the state’s top educators are pleading for an end to political games over quarantine, calling for a concrete plan to allow international students to return before they and billions of dollars in economic benefits are snapped up by overseas competitors.

They are warning that every month of delay could set back the international education industry’s recovery by years.

But the Palaszczuk Government says it has been working on plans with the industry and Federal Government, but it remains “logistically complex”.

Federal Education Department data reveals there are almost 20,000 fewer international students in Queensland than last year, a drop of almost 20 per cent, while other states’ enrolments fell between 15 and 18 per cent.

It is a blow to the sector worth $5 billion to the state’s economy.

The Courier-Mail revealed on Monday that the state’s top universities are part of a renewed push to bring back international students in small pilot programs before the end of the year, but it had been stalled with the Palaszczuk Government insisting the proposed Wellcamp quarantine facility would be required.

Central Queensland University vice-chancellor Nick Klomp. Picture: Leighton Smith

Central Queensland University vice-chancellor Nick Klomp, who is also Regional University’s Network chair, said Australia was currently sending out the message that international students should “look elsewhere” and they were doing just that, with the US, UK, Canada and Singapore benefiting.

“Put the politics aside and come up with some solutions,” he said.

“Rather than get caught up with, is this site better than that site, just make some decisions.

“Every month we leave it is a few years to catch up later.”

He said it was up to the state and federal governments to work together on a solution with the industry, as they had done with agriculture, flight crews, sports stars and others industries.

Sarina Russo Group CEO Kathleen Newcombe said she was highly supportive of getting the federal and state governments to work together on a solution which meets the health requirements.

“We’re focused on what is the future of this industry,” she said.

“There’s a new international education strategy being developed so we can power out of this.”

Ms Newcombe said there needed to be a long-term focus on the recovery.

A spokesman for Tourism Industry Development Stirling Hinchliffe said the priority was getting stranded Queenslanders home from Covid-hit countries, but that the state was working with the Federal Government and industry on a plan.

“This is a logistically complex plan and we’ll be taking each step carefully to ensure Queenslanders remain safe,” he said.

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge has said he is willing to consider any proposals as they come forward.

There were 96,000 students studying from overseas in Queensland, which has now fallen to 76,000, while new enrolments dropped from 31,000 in 2019 to 18,900 in 2021.

Online study and students moving from interstate have kept new enrolments moving upwards.

The exodus is a financial hit to the state’s universities, which received $1.5 billion in fees from overseas students prior to COVID-19 shutting the international borders.