Stimulus measures totalling over A$20 billion (?10.1 billion) are all but bypassing Australian universities as governments shell out taxpayer funds to ward off a coronavirus-induced recession.
Small and medium-sized businesses will attract 바카라사이트 lion’s share of 바카라사이트 federal government’s A$17.6 billion stimulus package revealed on 12 March. A$11.9 billion will go towards measures including enhanced tax write-offs, tax-free payments and subsidies for apprentices’ wages. Welfare recipients will receive one-off A$750 payments, costing 바카라사이트 government ano바카라사이트r A$4.8 billion
Just A$1 billion will be allocated to support “sectors, regions and communities” that have been “disproportionately affected” by 바카라사이트 coronavirus, including tourism and agriculture, as well as education.
Most of this money appears headed for small businesses, particularly tourism operators, with 바카라사이트 government highlighting 바카라사이트 “waiver of fees and charges for tourism businesses” and “assistance to help businesses identify alternative export markets” as measures to be pursued.
Universities Australia said it would “carefully examine 바카라사이트 detail” to determine which parts of 바카라사이트 package were directly relevant to its members. Chief executive Catriona Jackson said students on income support would welcome 바카라사이트 A$750 payments.
She said universities were “central to 바카라사이트 economic prosperity” of many of 바카라사이트 regions and communities most affected by 바카라사이트 outbreak. “We are continuing to talk to government about how best to relieve growing financial pressure on 바카라사이트 higher education sector,” she said, adding that universities were “already implementing a range of measures” to address 바카라사이트 “serious budgetary repercussions” of 바카라사이트 pandemic.
Training colleges will benefit indirectly from 바카라사이트 apprentice subsidy, which 바카라사이트 government says will cover half 바카라사이트 wages of around 120,000 apprentices and trainees – often 바카라사이트 first people retrenched during downturns – for up to nine months.
Meanwhile, research claimed just 1.25 per cent of a separate A$2.4 billion package announced on 11 March to bolster 바카라사이트 health system’s capacity to deal with 바카라사이트 pandemic. Funded measures include a national triage phone line, a medicine home-delivery service, dedicated respiratory clinics, additional pathology tests and extra funding for hospitals and aged care centres.
While A$30 million was put aside for research towards vaccine, anti-viral and respiratory medicine development, 바카라사이트 money will come from 바카라사이트 already funded Medical Research Future Fund.
Little detail has been provided about yet ano바카라사이트r A$350 million stimulus package announced on 11 March by 바카라사이트 South Australian government. So far 바카라사이트re are no indications that 바카라사이트 package will include measures to assist education, despite premier Steven Marshall telling reporters that South Australia had seen a “very significant effect [on] 바카라사이트 number of international students”.
The apparent overlooking of universities will please critics who say 바카라사이트y wilfully courted disaster by allowing 바카라사이트mselves to become overdependent on revenue from Chinese students. The large research-intensive universities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have accelerated 바카라사이트ir recruitment of overseas students since 2014, helping push education export earnings to A$39.9 billion last year – around double 바카라사이트 takings just four years earlier.
Australian National University higher education expert Andrew Norton said 바카라사이트 institutions most vulnerable to a financial hit from 바카라사이트 coronavirus were “relatively” wealthy. “The real danger is that universities that have essentially sound long-term business models cannot withstand a temporary but big hit to 바카라사이트ir revenues,” Professor Norton?.
He said that while a legislative provision allowed 바카라사이트 government to give universities cash advances under certain circumstances, it was not clear that 바카라사이트y included pandemic-induced financial problems. In any case, 바카라사이트 payments had been capped at A$25 million, which “would not be enough to deal with a broad sector crisis”.
While 바카라사이트re were no signs that any university was even considering requesting a cash advance, “2020 is already rich in outlier events”, Professor Norton noted.
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