Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The 2021-22 budget includes a measure to implement an updated cost-recovery model for registration charges for the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students, known as CRICOS, which are collected by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The new arrangements will reduce the amount paid by providers to the department by approximately $7 million per year.

Delivering the model requires amendments in four separate bills:

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This bill outlines the proposed changes to charges payable by providers registering, or intending to be registered on CRICOS to deliver education and training services to overseas students. The amendments will result in a significant reduction in the department's collection of CRICOS charges from the international education sector.

The updated cost recovery model reflects the department's costs of administering and regulating CRICOS providers in accordance with the Australian Government Charging Framework(the Charging Framework). The key focus of the Charging Framework is to ensure that the cost of the regulation being provided should be borne by the entity, rather than those costs being met by taxpayers.

In addition to the department, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) and Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) also have roles in regulating CRICOS registered providers. These regulators are known as ESOS agencies. ASQA is the ESOS agency for registered vocational education and training providers and standalone English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students providers. TEQSA is the ESOS agency for registered higher education providers, and the secretary of the department is the ESOS agency for school providers.

From 1 January 2022, only the costs of the department's CRICOS regulatory effort will be recovered through the Registration Charges Act. ASQA and TEQSA will separately charge under their own legislative frameworks, ensuring clear lines of transparency and accountability between charging and regulatory practice.

This also protects providers from double charging and ensures the department, ASQA and TEQSA are all properly resourced to fulfil their ongoing compliance, analysis and monitoring obligations so that the quality and integrity of Australia's international education and training system is maintained.

Subject to the passage of this bill, the new charging arrangements will commence from 1 January 2022.

I commend this bill to the chamber.

Debate adjourned.

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