South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer has approved a plan to bring back Adelaide’s international students by letting them serve two weeks’ quarantine at Parafield Airport, in the city’s north.
The City of Salisbury council has told the ABC that existing buildings at the airport will be used to quarantine incoming students.
CBD medi-hotels would continue to be used for returning Australians under the plan.
International students have become a mainstay of the state’s universities and a major economic driver of the Adelaide CBD.
Last year, a plan to bring them back was quickly dropped when the government faced a backlash over the slow process to repatriate Australian citizens instead.
This new plan still needs to be endorsed by the federal government.
Salisbury Mayor Gillian Aldridge said she did not want to see COVID–19 spreading from the facility, in the neighbouring suburb to where the Parafield cluster spread from last November.
“It is really important that my community recognises that we as a council will do [our] best — working with the government — to make sure they are safe, the community is safe,” Ms Aldridge said.
“That is our number one priority.
“The main issue is: Is it safe? We don’t want it to get out into our community, and I am being told that will not happen.”
Students important part of economy
A state government spokesperson said Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier had approved the international-students-arrival plan because it met all the protocols and requirements of the Commonwealth.
“International students add so much to South Australia’s multicultural fabric, along with the clear economic benefits for our CBD and our state overall, with every three students leading to the creation of one job,” the spokesperson said.
“In 2019, almost 20,000 jobs were underpinned by international education, which is massive for our state
“International education is a significant part of South Australia’s economy, contributing over $2 billion in 2019, partly spent with our education providers such as schools and universities, and also providing a boost to our retail, hospitality and tourism sectors.”
For more information on MSA Immigration’s Study to Migrate visa services please click HERE.
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