Sydney’s peak advocacy and urban policy think tank has welcomed the NSW Government’s plan to return international students to the state as a much-needed boost to our local economy.

Committee for Sydney Deputy CEO Ehssan Veiszadeh said the announcement provided a safe and responsible pathway to supporting NSW’s universities.

“Today’s announcement is the most significant step towards safely reopening our state to the world,” he said.

“Universities are a key driver of our economy and local jobs. The pandemic has hit them hard, leading to thousands of job cuts across our city and state.

“This trend is unsustainable, making today’s announcement vitally important in protecting jobs and our quality of life.”

Ehssan Veiszadeh again called for a greater sense of urgency around the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“A rapid and safe vaccine rollout is the only way out of this health and economic crisis and Australia is sadly being left behind,” he said.

“An effective vaccine rollout matters as much on a human level as it does for economic reasons. It will not only allow us to protect and grow jobs, it will allow our people to reconnect with family stranded overseas.

“We are in the race of our lives when it comes to the vaccine rollout and all levels of government must step up to get jabs in arms as soon as possible.”