Interview - ABC North West Queensland

MADDIE NIXON [HOST]: Good morning, Senator. What brings you to Mount Isa today?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Good to be with you, Maddy. I received an invitation from the organisation of mayors that represent this part of the world. So, it's been a few months in the planning and finally here but looking forward to talking to them this afternoon about what the Federal Government is doing in this part of the world and how we can work constructively together. But before that, I'm heading down to Cloncurry to meet up with the Mayor there to open a new housing development, which is really exciting that they received the Federal Government's support for. And then coming back this afternoon to visit the Country University Centre here in Mount Isa that's just opened its doors and supporting students and I'm very passionate about those centres across the country. So, it's exciting to be visiting one of the latest ones that's opened recently.

NIXON: And as you mentioned, the Country University Centre is hosting an open day today. It's open up to the public in a couple weeks from now. And there's a few others set to open up around remote Australia in the next year or so. How important are these hubs for remote communities?

CHISHOLM: They're vitally important for a number of reasons. One is obviously it provides an opportunity for people in town to study without having to leave. And I think that's exciting to give people that opportunity. But it also ensures that the next nurse or the next teacher might already be in town and studying or has the opportunity to study at one of these centres. So, when you think about those skill shortages that we face in so many regional communities, do need nurses, do need teachers, the fact that they can stay and study in their local community means they're more likely to stay here and work. So, they're making a fantastic contribution around the country at the moment. There's already about 4500 people studying at these centres and obviously with more to open, that means that there's more opportunity in a place like Mount Isa.

NIXON: Are there any other ways the government plans to incentivise studying in a rural area over moving to a city?

CHISHOLM: One of the other things which will start in 1 July next year is prac payments for teaching students, nursing students. So, we think that will provide a really good support because often nursing and teaching students, particularly in remote areas, might have to travel to do their prac placements. Some of them also have caregiving responsibilities or indeed just paying the mortgage or rent. So, providing that practical support will hopefully mean that more people want to study those courses or those that are undertaking those courses, just makes it a bit easier to keep doing those prac placements, which is so important in those fields.

NIXON: The ABC is constantly covering stories about poor connectivity in this part of the world. Blackouts, internet shortages, stuff like that. How can you guarantee the success of these hubs without stable power and internet out here?

CHISHOLM: I understand that's challenging in many regional communities and Mount Isa is no different in that. That's something that I'll be happy to talk to centre managers and the Mayor about this afternoon. We want to ensure that we're doing our part to provide better connectivity in regional and remote areas. I understand that it's not necessarily a luxury these days, it's actually a necessity. People can't survive unless they have good connectivity. But it's also a real key to - if you are going to be studying remotely, obviously you need reliable connectivity to be able to do that at the same time. So, one can't work without the other and it's really important government supports that.

NIXON: Big news in the education space last week, there's going to be a cap on international student intake, reducing how many international students Australia takes each year. The government has pitched that this will help international students get out to the regions. How is that the case?

CHISHOLM: Because the decision that the government have made and the communication that we've had with universities has ensured that regional universities are actually going to be receiving more international students. So, we think that's a great opportunity for James Cook Uni in Cairns and Townsville, Central Queensland University through Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald to provide more opportunity for those international students and also the support they play for the local economy at the same time. I understand how important they are in that regard, but we want those students when they come to Australia to have a good experience so that when they go back home, they provide a real - I suppose they become ambassadors for our country and the experience that they had. So, it's important that we get that balance right between providing opportunity, ensuring they have a good experience and understanding how important international education is for the country as an economic driver at the same time. I feel as though we've got that balance right and regional areas are going to benefit from that.

NIXON: Off the back of that idea of ambassadorship in Australia's reputation, some in the sector are a little worried that the cap will damage Australia's reputation globally as somewhere that isn't as inviting. Rural areas already struggle to attract international students. What do you say to that?

CHISHOLM: We're confident that this scheme will ensure that these students are well supported and that we do continue to become a popular place for international students to come. You've got to remember as to why this process was started, and that's because there were rorts being exposed in terms of the way that international students were being treated. We needed to fix that, and we also need to ensure that it enjoys social licence into the future. We feel as though we've got that balance right between the numbers that are coming in, the experience that they'll have, and ensuring that those international students are here for the right reasons. And I'm confident that this will work well with the university sector, and we'll continue to engage them because we understand how important this is.

NIXON: Great. Thank you, Senator. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day up here in the North West.

CHISHOLM: Thanks, Maddie.