Government to cap overseas university enrolments; Wild weather across Australia | ABC News

The federal government has announced it will cap university enrolments from overseas well the reaction is coming in thick and fast this morning to the government's plan to cap overseas University enrollments foreign students say they now feel less welcome in the country after education Minister Jason Clair proposed a limit of 270,000 new overseas enrollments for next year now that's a drop of more than 50,000 taking the $48 billion industry back to pre pandemic levels the group of eight which represents the country's top universities has labeled the plan ill conceived and is warning the Senate not to be bullied into accepting the legislation here's how Finance Minister Katie Gallaher defended the proposed changes a short time ago I think having this number provides certainty to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher defends proposed changes. universities um and ensures that they are able to plan and meet you know the responsibilities they have but also ensures that all universities get a fair share so some of those Regional universities as well and I think that will you know allow you know a better outcome for everybody so keeps this important role of International Education but allows us a sort of more sustainable planning and certainty going forward that's the government's take National Union of students president Nar National Union of Students President Ngaire Bogemann joins News Breakfast. Bogman joins us now in the studio good morning n you've had to listen to what the government's had to say about why it's done this or why it's proposing this what's your take on what we just heard from Katie Galler yeah uh look it's been an interesting couple of days for the sector and I think I'll start off by saying it's very rare you'll find unions such as nus and the group of eight in agreement on something um but the reality is these international student caps are going to be an absolute disaster not just for international students current and perspective uh but for domestic students as well what why for domestic students as well so the reality of the higher education sector and particularly for universities and particularly for group of eight universities is that they are financially riing on International students this is the result of successive governments failing to step in and provide the funding that higher education needs um so you know you build a house of it's bound to fall now that International students are being capped that's going to see a reduction in funding a reduction in funding pretty much always means a reduction in Staffing reduction in Staffing means reduction in courses which means a reduction in the overall quality of education for domestic and international students alike the government argues as did Katie gallaer in in her interview with us that it's all about making things more sustainable she referenced Australia's migration levels infrastructure housing is this not a good way to make all of our lives a bit easier I I think what it is a a good way of doing it is making students feel unwelcome um as as you know we've heard International students are now feeling like they are not welcome here the reality is we are not the only country that provides International Education uh students could you know now turn around they could go to the UK the US anywhere where they're able to get the education they're seeking because that's what's important for international students it's getting the education that will lead them where they want to go they can find that elsewhere so it sounds like you don't really um buy into this argument from the government that this is a a a a decision around sustainability and migration you do do you believe it's driven by something else yeah I I struggle to believe that it's driven by you know sort of this this conversation around migration or even as they were initially saying uh to reduce the housing crisis the reality is there is you know little to no evidence that proves International students are the cause of the housing crisis it's not their fault we don't have enough housing to keep up with you know the amount of people who live here it's not their fault uh that rental prices of sword um so you know it's it's an interesting Framing and one that I don't quite buy a mixed views in the tertiary sector that the big universities the so-called Sandstone universities are kicking and screaming but on the other hand we've got universities smaller ones in Regional areas like University of Wong gong University of Newcastle quite happy about this yeah absolutely I think you know there are two sides to every argument um the reality is currently there is less than I think one in 10 international student that goes to a regional area yeah but that's the whole thing that cap will be raised for those absolutely so that is a good thing um we do obviously want more people in our regional areas and experiencing the beautiful lifestyle that we have in our regional areas that's a positive but on the whole this is going to cause more problems than it's going to solve really great to get your perspective thanks Weather warnings are in place across Tasmania, NSW, South Australia and Victoria. very much thanks so much for having me okay severe weather warnings are in place today across multiple States while fire authorities fire authorities in New South Wales are on alert amid a warm and windy end to Winter step faer is at the State Control Center in Melbourne Charlie Mills is in Sydney Forest first to you Steph what has happened overnight good morning Michael Yes here at the neres center sces officers have been busy receiving the information from Victorians warned to expect strong and damaging winds. residents around Melbourne and Victoria who've been waking up this morning to really witness the destruction caused by these very damaging winds and so far we've got well over 500 calls for assistance 426 of those are for trees down and 74 of those for buildings damaged now we heard from one of those residents Bev she lives in Melbourne Southeast in Chelsea Heights and she says that she's still shaken after her house had a very very narrow Miss with a crashing tree this is what she had to say heard this Almighty crash outside and um was very concerned and I looked out my window and saw tree branches against the edge of my window so I came downstairs to investigate what was happening and saw a branch of my tree had come off very fortunately it just missed my window except for the few branches that touched it so she says that certainly someone was on her side and uh she's just thanking her lucky stars basically that she's safe now we know as well that we've seen a lot of the areas that have been affected in Melbourne South and also uh the states east and some of those Eastern uh suburbs as well like Emerald as well as down in waral and pakenham we heard from the SCS chief operations officer Tim wush just a little while ago on news breakfast now he says that those severe wind warnings for or weather warnings for damaging winds I should say and their corresponding thunderstorms are going to continue they cover at least half of the state there's also really big uh warnings as well for damaging Surf and abnormally high tide so he says that it's definitely not the time to be out rock fishing today but he says in terms of trees down uh the sces certainly has their hands full had a a house damaged in Glen wavery in the back of the house that's collapsed as a result of a large tree coming down fortunately no injuries there but we are expecting as the the winds cross the state throughout the day and they'll reintensification 128 km per hour Michael in Mount bullah we also had some really strong winds across the west of the state 106 kilm per hour at Portland and it's also those sustained winds that we've been seeing not just the peak gusts now apart from the warnings here in Victoria there are also some warnings in South Australia just to the east and north of Adelaide as well as down in the State Southeast but that's expected to ease as that weather system contracts to the east there are also o some warnings as well for Tasmania along the western and Northern coasts as well and we're hearing from the SS here today that we should expect to see some of those conditions at least ease around tonight Steph thank you Charlie what's the weather outlook there well we are expecting a very hot NSW fire authorities on alert amid warm and windy end to winter and windy end to August here in New South Wales uh there is a severe weather warning for damaging winds right across the southern areas of new South Wales today that's in the ilaa the central table lands Southern Table lands the hunter forecast district and in the snowy mountains uh ilaa is bracing for winds with gusts of up to 110 km per hour similar wind gusts in areas in the snowy mountains today so people being urged just to be careful and prepare their homes to avoid any of that damage or impact from those winds it is also set to be quite the hot week here in New South Wales temperatures are reaching the high 20s in those population centers today Sydney today reaching 28° 29 in Newcastle 25 in Woolen gong and that matches that band of hot weather right across the state well above those August averages the heat has meant the end of this year's ski season with that with that snow melting much earlier than normal so that combination of abnormally warm weather and those High damaging winds it's prompted a warning from the rural fire service they're asking landholders and residents to be careful and check whether condition conditions before lighting any fires this time of year is often when back burning would commence but there is a heightened bushire risk right now so the message going out to people right across the state to check those conditions and be careful when lighting fires always be careful Charlie St thank you both Airbnb AirBnB says Victorian government's short stay bill will create confusion. has hit out of Victoria's proposed short stay Levy Bill claiming it will create more red tape and confusion the changes will give local councils and owners corporations the power to ban residents from using platforms like Airbnb to rent out their properties the head of public policy at Airbnb Australia says 79 different councils will now be 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Turnout in the NT election in bush electorates dropped below 45 believes the failure of the voice to Parliament referendum has left bush voters dejected voter turnout in non-metropolitan seats dropped below 45% in this year's anti-election labor member for the seat of daily Daran young says people feel their voices aren't valued South Australia's Dairy Farmers SA Dairy Farmers Association looking into electricity made from methane. Association use hopeful technology that turns methane gas into electricity will be available locally within 3 years it's looking into how it could use gas captured in waste water ponds to combat surging power prices the technology is already used overseas and the assoc a has identified a farm willing to Pilot the project and a SpaceX rocket could SpaceX rocket poised to launch four people for a private space walk. launch four people beyond the Earth's atmosphere today in fact to infinity and beyond perhaps to attempt the first ever Space Walk perhaps not by a private company the crew is expected to test a new generation of mobile space suits that space XS will be needed to colonize the moon and Mars for