Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) to (11), as circulated in my name, together:

(1) Schedule 1, item 53, page 39 (line 5), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(2) Schedule 1, item 53, page 39 (line 7), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(3) Schedule 1, item 53, page 39 (line 11), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(4) Schedule 1, item 53, page 39 (line 19), omit "2024", substitute "2025".

(5) Schedule 1, item 53, page 39 (line 24), omit "2026", substitute "2027".

(6) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 1), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(7) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 3), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(8) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 7), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

(9) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 15), omit "2024", substitute "2025".

(10) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 20), omit "2026", substitute "2027".

(11) Schedule 1, item 53, page 40 (line 32), omit "2025", substitute "2026".

The purpose of these amendments is to delay the introduction of caps on the number of international students in each course from 2025 to 2026. Throughout my consultation with the education sector, I have heard that the timing of this bill is a huge problem for institutions that are already well on their way to finalising enrolments for next year. Universities require significant notice if they are to manage student caps without causing chaos and damaging our international reputation as an education provider. The recruitment phase for international students generally begins 18 months before students commence. For most universities, applications for the 2025 intake are already open, with enrolment offers underway. Workforce and budget planning is undertaken and April or May of the year before. A number of universities told me of their concerns that this timeline means they would have to stop recruitment abruptly, which would likely result in the sector overcompensating and cutting international enrolments by more than is desirable.

To ensure providers have sufficient certainty to plan their budgets and workforce allocations and advise students of conditions of their offers, caps should commence no earlier than 2026. A later commencement date would also provide the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Education with sufficient time to improve their data-sharing capabilities, which is a requirement noted in the Department of Home Affairs's submission to this enquiry.

The current postpandemic bump in net migration is not expected to last. Arrivals are expected to ease and departures are expected to increase over the next few years as current international students finish their studies and go home. Delaying the implementation of caps to 2026 would give universities time for planning, allow for consultation on international education to establish evidence based and institutionally appropriate managed growth targets and provide more time to understand post-COVID migration trends. This amendment would also go some way to mitigating likely market and reputational shocks as well as reducing the negative impact on student experience and expectation.

If the government is not going to accept this amendment in this House, I hope it will be seriously considered in the Senate. I commend this amendment to the House.

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