Thursday, 17 June 2021
Following the announcement of the closure of Eynesbury Senior College in the Adelaide CBD, the South Australian Business Chamber is calling for immediate funding in the State Budget to fast track a quarantine facility at Parafield Airport accommodating international students.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 40 per cent of the 31-year-old college’s students came from overseas.
As the Adelaide CBD braces for a cold and quieter winter, a steady stream of international students flocking to our city could be the key to rejuvenating daytime retail, hospitality and accommodation.
A government spokesperson in a recent article mentioned that for every three international students, one job is created. This has a knock-on effect delivering benefits for our economy.
The South Australian Business Chamber CEO Martin Haese said: “We need to be taking every measure possible to safely return international students to South Australian campuses.”
“We understand that international students should not take up valuable Hotel quarantine places for returning Australians, so having an additional facility set up in a safe location is logical.”
“In 2019, international education contributed over $2 billion to the State economy and is widely touted as South Australia’s biggest export.”
Following the Chief Public Health Officer, Nicola Spurrier’s approval of this facility in late May, an allocation of funding in the State Budget should see faster endorsement by the Federal Government, who should approve passage for international students, under this proposed plan.
