Pressure on housing as 1000 international students enrol at CDU

A report has revealed the pressures international students place on the Territory’s housing market as Charles Darwin University welcomes a record-breaking cohort.

A Nepalese student is “afraid of what will happen” to her as she faces the possibility of being forced into unsafe accommodation during her studies thanks to the NT’s growing housing crisis.

Charles Darwin University student Divya Jyoti Prasai stayed with family during her first semester of the year.

But with classes resuming for the second half of the year, the health science student is desperately searching for a new home as her relatives prepare to leave Darwin.

“Most of my friends are in similar positions,” Ms Prasai said.

“I am concerned about that, if I need to move to low quality accommodations and unsafe place.”

Md Sifat Isfaqur Rahman paid about $100 a week in rent for his home in Millner, which he shared with 12-13 people. The house is listed as a three-bedroom house with one bathroom.

Ms Prasaid said her fear had only grown after the alleged murder of Md ‘Sifat’ Isfaqur Rahman.

“I’m very much worried and stressed,” she said.

“This is a very difficult situation in Darwin.

“We are coming from overseas and facing many problems.

“If we don’t get accommodation... where we will stay? How can we focus on our study?”

Ms Prasai is one of more than 1000 international students attending CDU in the second half of the year, enrolled in the greater Darwin region, Alice Springs and Sydney.

The influx breaks CDU’s records from July last year by 800 students and comes after a recent spotlight on students’ poor housing conditions in the Top End.

About 80 per cent of the new intake will be attending online and in-person classes via the Territory’s CDU campuses.

CDU Vice-Chancellor professor Scott Bowman said the Territory’s huge intake was thanks to an overseas trip to attract students and increased demand in its courses.

“These new students have so much enthusiasm to become qualified and active members of the community, and contribute to the multicultural identity which we are very proud of,” he said.

“Their skills will hopefully help address worker shortages across major employment sectors.”

An Institute of Public Affairs report found the percentage of international students to new housing supply in Darwin was 140 per cent in the 2023 financial year.

And about 56 per cent of Darwin’s new housing supply will be claimed by international students by 2028.

CDU student engagement director Sarah Fletcher said 109 students had signed up for the university’s StudyStays initiative since May 1.

“77 per cent were international students, and 13 per cent were domestic,” she said.

“For the month of June, we had a total of 76 listings on the CDU StudyStays website.

“At present (July 18) we have 48 properties available, some have multiple rooms available for students.”

Federal Opposition Immigration and Citizenship spokesman Dan Tehan said a record number of student visas were being issued. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The IPA report revealed about two thirds of 400,000 migrants to Australia travelled on students visas during the 2023 financial year, with similar figures expected in the coming year.

Federal Opposition Immigration and Citizenship spokesman Dan Tehan said the Australian government was issuing a “record number of student visas with no acknowledgment of the impact on the housing and rental market”.

“There is now a serious disconnect between the benefits of international education to Australia and the negative impacts on young Australians,” he said.

But Ms Fletcher said education-related travel was Australia’s largest services export in 2022 and contributed more than $4.6bn to the economy.

“International students also supported more than 250,000 jobs before the COVID-19 pandemic and add more than $40.1 billion to the economy,” she said.
“Economic benefits aside, international students contribute to our multicultural identity in Darwin.

“They bring their culture, food and knowledge to share, volunteer their time, and help create a welcoming community that we are most proud of.”

Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler said the government was working to support the growing number of international students in the NT. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Education and Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler said international students were critical to the NT economy and the government was working to support their growing numbers.

“Accommodation is a key consideration in planning towards having additional students studying in the Territory,” she said.

“The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics is working with CDU and proponents around options for student accommodation into the future.

“A new 72 room, nine storey build on Shepherd Street in Darwin’s CBD has received development consent and this is an example of accommodation in the works to cater for a growing student population.”