StudyAdelaide

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:33): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister advise the council on how the government is growing international student numbers through StudyAdelaide initiatives with overseas agents?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:33): I thank the honourable member for his question and his ongoing interest in the international student sector. As members would know, the Marshall government has made much progress in fulfilling our election commitments in international education. We have increased annual funding to StudyAdelaide to $2.5 million a year and we have more than doubled StudyAdelaide's student ambassador program and introduced new initiatives such as a ministerial advisory council on international education.

Already, South Australia is seeing significant growth in the sector, with the past year seeing strong growth of 10.6 per cent in the value of international education to our state. Now our international education exports are worth some $1.62 billion, with nearly 38,000 international student enrolments in 2018.

Before the election, our government made a pledge to strengthen our interaction with overseas agents, and I would like to share the details of StudyAdelaide's latest agent familiarisation visit. Around 75 per cent of international students in Australia are recruited through agents, making them the key marketing channel into our local international education industry. The past two weeks has seen South Australia welcome 87 agent representatives from over 20 countries. This has been a huge undertaking by StudyAdelaide and a significant jump in size compared to last year's familiarisation visit with Austrade, which saw 58 agent representatives visit our state.

The agents visited all South Australian universities, TAFEs and a number of colleges and schools. They also visited some key regions in South Australia, introducing the representatives to our best-performing and emerging student agencies, and to the South Australian lifestyle to experience for themselves the very best that South Australia has to offer. I attended a gala event last Friday and spoke with a number of these agents and also our education institutions. The whole program received fantastic feedback from many of the agents that I met, and they spoke very highly about our great state of South Australia. I am sure they will become strong advocates for our state in recommending our quality education to their students.

Indeed, many of our students had only heard of Adelaide for the first time because of their agents' recommendation. I commend the StudyAdelaide team for hosting this year's successful agents' tour. The more international students we are able to attract to this state, the greater the benefits for our local economy. All of these students will spend money on accommodation, goods and local services while they are living here, creating more jobs for South Australians.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, could you please remove your political badge; it offends the President.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Sir, just for clarity, are you suggesting to me that my badge drawing attention to the Liberal government's privatisation of trains and trams is disorderly?

The PRESIDENT: It is disorderly and in breach of standing orders. I might have tolerated it if it said, 'I love my President', but it doesn't—get it off.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I will take it off, sir. I take off my badge that says the Liberal government plans to privatise trams—

The PRESIDENT: No, sit down. You have had your moment.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —and trains.

The PRESIDENT: You have had your moment in the sun.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: And next sitting week I will wear a badge saying, 'I love my President'.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: We have had it. The Hon. Mr Darley.