Innovative thinking !

The New South Wales government has extended travel discounts to overseas students studying at university or TAFE in the Illawarra, Hunter or Greater Sydney areas.   A 35% discount will apply to all forms of public transport.    This  will be trialled over a twelve month period with the expectation that it will become permanent.  It will likely involve a saving of $ 811 a year for the average student.

Education has become one of the industries that attract dollars into the Australian economy.  Not all overseas students come from wealthy backgrounds and concessions to make life easier will be welcomed by middle class families struggling to afford an opportunity in life for their children.   We already deliver fare relief to Australian children and this new scheme is simply extending a level playing field.

Some student bodies have expressed disappointment that it will not apply to those buying daily tickets.  To access the scheme, students will need to buy quarterly or annual tickets.  Concern has been expressed that there are gaps in the teaching year, but the scheme's application to quarterly tickets is designed to accommodate that problem - and students who remain in this country during teaching breaks will still have a need to use transport.

Access will require the student to apply for the concession through his or her educational provider.   It will only be available to genuine students and this formality will prevent rorting by those who do not qualify.  The concession pass will be a valuable document and each student holder will be responsible for maintaining it's integrity.

A lot of things have changed in the past few decades.  Globalization has altered the manufacturing spectrum to Australia's disadvantage.   We are a high wage country and the western world has seen an exodus of traditional manufacturing jobs to low wage countries.  One of the growth areas that has emerged from globalization is the expansion of a middle class in Asia and with it an urge to seek advanced education levels for their sons and daughters.

Our universities and TAFE system meets world standards and Australia has become a magnet for young foreign students because it is seen as a safe country with a welcoming attitude to it's educational institutions.
In particular, the University of Wollongong has excelled in taking up the challenge of providing high class student accommodation in the city centre.   This initiative to make public transport more affordable will be another step in selling our university's appeal to an ever widening world.