$5 billion industry in trouble, state scraps key advisory body

The Queensland government has quietly scrapped a key advisory board despite the struggles of the key sector it looks after.

Queensland is falling behind other states in rebuilding its $5 billion international student industry, as borders continue to reopen, but the State Government has quietly scrapped a key advisory board for the sector.

The state has just over a third of the student visa applications of NSW and fewer the half that of Victoria.

NSW is building back its overseas student numbers at a faster rate, federal education department data reveals.

But a spokeswoman for Tourism and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the state had recently launched a $20 million, five-year road map in a bid to attract more international students to the state, released the week between Christmas and New Year.

Queensland is falling behind other states in rebuilding its $5 billion international student industry. Picture: Supplied

The number of international student visa arrivals to Queensland from January 2022 to September 2022 was 52,800, less than half of the 117,680 arrivals during the same time period in 2019.

This is compared to NSW receiving 136,380 student visa arrivals in 2022, down from 273,000, and Victoria receiving 111,670, down from 258,000.

International Education Association of Australia Phil Honeywood said the State Government quietly abolished the International Education Training and Advisory Group at “worst possible time”.

“It’s done this at the very time we need to have a strong state-based focus on how to win back market share from states such as NSW,” Mr Honeywood said.

“Just before Christmas the State Government launched a new international education and training strategy, but it had no new money in it.

“Unlike industries that dig stuff out of the ground, this sector provides much needed skills for hi-tech industries in Australia, like IT, STEM and science.”

He said the WA Government had recently invested $54 million to promote international education in its state.

International Education Association of Australia CEO Phil Honeywood. Picture: Nikki Short

A spokeswoman for Mr Hinchliffe said the advisory group had been established in 2017 and used to advise on opportunities to grow the state’s largest services export.

“Post-pandemic, feedback from the 12 members of IETAG themselves proposed a new model of wider-sector engagement with a greater focus on regional Queensland and emerging markets including India and Indonesia to diversify the industry’s export potential,” she said.

“The IETAG’s former members will be invited to contribute to a new-look International Education and Training forum currently being developed.”

The spokeswoman said the Queensland Government launched its new, five-year, $20 million road map to drive the sector, designed to attract more international students to the state.