Plan to return international students to NSW universities

A NSW crisis cabinet will on Wednesday consider a plan to bring back hundreds of international students to universities across the state. Take our poll.

Up to 250 international students will return to NSW on chartered flights and undergo quarantine at special student facilities under a plan taken to the state crisis cabinet today.

The proposal would see the number of students scaled up after an initial tranche to set up the system, with universities to fund the flights.

It is understood there are four quarantine sites identified for the students, including in the inner west, which are unique and separate to current hotel quarantine arrangements.

The government would not comment last night, but The Daily Telegraph confirmed the plan was due to be debated on Wednesday morning at the Covid crisis cabinet.

The proposal to return international students will be put to Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

While there may be some tweaks to the final details in the process, the broad plan is expected by the sector to be ­accepted.

There is hope the students can arrive for second semester.

Scott Morrison said in April he was working cooperatively with the states on efforts to ­return the students to Australia in a way that was safe.

The plan has been neg­otiated for months, and it has been a year since Premier Gladys Berejiklian first said she wanted to see the students return to revive the ­sector.

Universities have been hammered by the pandemic, shedding 17,000 jobs and losing billions in revenue while failing to experience any of the benefits other sectors have had as the economy starts to recover.

The sector sees the move as an emergency measure that is needed immediately, or else Australia risks losing the students to other countries which allow them to enrol sooner.

Separately, 14 universities in NSW and the ACT have made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, applying for authorisation to collaborate on the project of returning the students. The application is necessary to avoid accusations of collusion.

In the application, the universities ask for authorisation to “collaborate in order to est­ablish an international student travel corridor to facilitate the return of inter­national students to NSW and ACT-based universities”.

The application asks that the unis can work together to appoint a travel management services provider to manage the project, including on commercial and charter flights.

“The applicants propose that priority will be given to continuing students,” the ­application states.

Sydney University is one of the unis part of the plan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damien Shaw

“Given that the number of students who can enter NSW every fortnight is expected to be capped for public health and hotel quarantine purposes, and the limited number of seats available on international flights, the applicants seek authorisation to collaborate to establish a mechanism to allocate these seats proportionally to historical overseas student enrolments at NSW and ACT universities.”

The authorisation is sought until June 2022, with an ­urgent interim decision due next week while more formal consultation takes place.

The request is on behalf of Australian Catholic Univer­sity, Australian National University, Charles Sturt University, Southern Cross University, Macquarie University, University of Can­berra, University of Newcastle, University of New England, University of New South Wales, University of Notre Dame, The University of Sydney, ­University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University and the University of Wollongong.

South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer app­roved a plan to return international students to Adelaide this week, allowing them to quarantine at Parafield Airport.

Originally published as Plan to return international students to NSW universities