Gold Coast budget: last minute education pitch before council closes doors to debate

Councillors at special budget talks stayed in open session for less than an hour as Study Gold Coast leaders made a last minute push for education funding.

COUNCILLORS at special budget talks stayed in open session for less than an hour as Study Gold Coast leaders made a last minute push for education funding.

Several councillors including Mudgeeraba’s Glenn Tozer and Southport’s Dawn Crichlow in the lead-up to yesterday’s meeting have been vocal about the council staging more open and transparent conversations about the budget.

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Mayor Tom Tate back in budget talks. Photo: David Clark.

Gold Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association president Tom Bleier maintains his members want fewer closed-door meetings and argued that “too many things are discussed behind closed doors”.

Just seven minutes after councillors ticked off four items on an open agenda yesterday, they moved to closed session to discuss the budget review.

A council insider said councillors began going through the budget papers “line by line” and the contractual and commercial matters had to be discussed in closed.

The budget sessions were opened up briefly for a presentation by Study Gold Coast chair Rob Borbidge and the group’s CEO Alfred Slogrove but councillors had to frame their questions later to avoid funding targets and future commercial strategies.

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Former Premier Rob Borbidge is the new chairman for Study Gold Coast. Picture Mike Batterham.

Mr Borbidge said international student numbers on the Coast had grown by 15 per cent in the past 12 months, compared to an 11.2 per cent in Brisbane, while the remainder of the state was static.

“In terms of international student numbers and the rate of increase, the Gold Coast is outperforming Brisbane and certainly outperforming the rest of the state,” Mr Borbidge said.

“Councillors made this possible by the resources and the support for the programs being implemented by Study Gold Coast.

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“As we move forward in terms of the new funding round, I’m very conscious that council expects the education sector in the city to step up.”

Mr Borbidge revealed the group’s founding backers — TAFE, Bond University, Griffith University and Southern Cross — had renewed their commitments to funding Study Gold Coast through to 2024.

Study Gold Coast CEO Alfred Slogrove addressed council. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Slogrove said the Coast had 32,435 international students and 170,000 domestic students in a sector which was worth $1.7 billion to the Gold Coast economy, up from $1.1 billion in 2016.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and Nerang-based councillor Peter Young asked about the benefits for Coast students and for more research on the domestic market.

“Our high schools have achieved some out

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standing reputational outcomes, including three per cent higher on a state average and 1.5 per cent better on the national average for student outcomes,” Mr Slogrove said.

Mayor Tom Tate was eager to drive the message that “students can study at home”.

“We are at the level where we have everything. We now encourage local students through (to university here). I think we can do more on that,” he said.

Latest data had shown show international students stayed 111 days longer than the average tourist, and students after completing a bachelor degree were eager to continue through to their masters.

“We’re viewed to be a very safe destination, especially now regarding the UK and US. Our dollar is seventy cents or below. It’s really trying to get out there and harvest,” Cr Tate said.

“There’s a couple of things I want to raise in closed. I move we go into closed,” he added, before the gallery was cleared.