Labor confirms international student cap will rise with focus on Southeast Asia
The Albanese government has announced this week that 295,000 places, up from 270,000, will be available after it was forced to limit enrolments in 2024 due to record migration that led to a spike in home rental prices.
Students from Southeast Asia will be prioritised in ongoing efforts to boost engagement with the region, a close strategic partner of Australia.
Universities will receive the same allocation next year as they did in 2025 and can apply to have their allotment increased if they can prove domestic and international students have 'access to safe and secure housing' and increased engagement with Southeast Asia.
International students moving from secondary schools in Australia to publicly-funded universities or TAFE are exempt from the cap.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the international education sector is an 'incredibly important export' to Australia but the growth has to be managed to ensure its sustainability.
'International education doesn't just make us money, it makes us friends,' he said.
'This is about making sure international education grows in a way that supports students, universities and the national interest.
'The new planning level gives the sector certainty to continue delivering a high-quality educational experience to international students, while addressing national priorities.'
Data from the Department of Home Affairs showed there were more than 257,000 student visa applications in 2024-25, with just over 234,000 granted.
The Coalition had argued during the federal election for a limit of 240,000 international student placements, 30,000 less than Labor's policy.
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News.com.au
24 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Assistive tech targets market growth while improving lives
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Globally the assistive tech market was valued at ~US$22.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US%36.6 bn by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% throughout the decade. In Australia, the assistive technology sector is projected to expand from ~US$720 million in 2023 to more than US$1.7bn by 2030, driven by demographic shifts such as an ageing population and rising prevalence of long-term disabilities. Australia's substantial healthcare expenditure is also considered a pivotal driver for demand in the Australian disabled and elderly assistive device market. Global pioneer in hearing implant technology From restoring communication for those with severe disabilities to preserving vision and enhancing hearing, Australian companies have a proud history in assistive technologies with ASX blue-chip Cochlear (ASX:COH) one of the most high profile. Cochlear stands as one of the world's foremost innovators in assistive hearing technology with a legacy spanning more than 40 years. Cochlear implants and bone conduction devices are life-changing products, which have enabled hundreds of thousands of people globally across all ages to hear and communicate more effectively. Cochlear CEO and president Dig Howitt told Stockhead the organisation continued to progress new technology and care models, having recently launched the Cochlear Nucleus Nexa System, the world's first and only smart implant system. "The Nucleus Nexa Implant is the outcome of a 20 year investment in R&D and is the first cochlear implant to run its own firmware," he said. Howitt said similar to smartphones, the implant firmware could be updated to enable new features and access future innovations. "Recipients will now have access to a better hearing experience with both implant and sound processor updates," he said. "The Nucleus Nexa System builds upon Cochlear's industry-leading portfolio of electrodes, which are designed to optimise the electrode-neural interface and protect cochlea health and opens the door to even greater hearing potential for patients into the future." Enhancing sound in real-world situations While Cochlear may dominate the implantable hearing device market Brisbane-based Audeara (ASX:AUA) is carving out its own space in personalised listening solutions that sit between consumer audio products and clinical hearing aids. The flagship Audeara headphones and TV bundles the company started with use built-in hearing checks to create tailored sound profiles, ensuring clearer, enhanced listening experiences. Audeara managing director James Fielding told Stockhead the features made the devices valuable for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, or for people using cochlear implants and hearing aids who got an incredible entertainment experience when the sound was tailored to their needs. Building its portfolio Audeara launched Buds into its clinic networks this year. Unlike conventional hearing aids, Buds focus on enhancing the sound in real world situations like a busy cafe while also staying true to their entertainment focus, enhancing calls, TV and music. "We believe assistive technology should enhance the human experience without compromise," Fielding said. "At Audeara, our personalised hearing solutions empower people to connect more deeply with music, conversations and entertainment, regardless of their hearing ability." The technology also supports accessibility through government funding programs including NDIS, DVA and the Hearing Services Program, broadening its reach and affordability. With distribution in 1,500 clinics across Australia and more than 3,000 globally, including partnerships with major networks like Specsavers and Amplifon, Audeara is well positioned to capture growth in a market that's both socially impactful and commercially attractive. "The future of assistive technology is about inclusion, not limitation," Fielding said. "Audeara's mission is to ensure that hearing health solutions are seamlessly integrated into everyday life, combining clinical credibility with consumer-level accessibility." 'Giving communication back for more than two decades' Control Bionics (ASX:CBL) CEO Jeremy Steele describes the assistive technology medical device company as "sitting at the intersection of neuroscience and accessibility". "For more than 20 years, Control Bionics has been at the forefront of assistive technology innovation, helping thousands of people around the world communicate and connect in ways once thought impossible," Steele told Stockhead. Control Bionics has developed the NeuroNode – a wearable, watch-like, wireless non-invasive electromyography (EMG) and spatial sensor device to assist cognitive people with physical disabilities perform everyday functions. He said NeuroNode was globally unique as the only augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology of its kind that combined movement and EMG signals into a single platform. "Recognition by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, awarding NeuroNode the first HCPCS code for an AAC device in 13 years, validates both the technology and the profound impact it delivers," he said. 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News.com.au
24 minutes ago
- News.com.au
New Zealand's mining dream isn't over, it's back in the race for gold
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Respondents to the survey expressed decreased concerns over uncertainty concerning what areas will be protected, uncertainty over regulation enforcement and uncertainty regarding environmental regulations. New Zealand has flagged interest in doubling its mining exports to NZ$3bn by 2035 and has introduced measures such as the 'Fast Track' legislation, which accelerates permitting processes dramatically by introducing a one-stop shop for permitting. A legend speaks Mining legend Norm Seckold, who was recently appointed as a director of Uvre (ASX:UVA) following the acquisition of his company Octagold and its portfolio of gold projects in the country, believes New Zealand now has all the right ingredients that make it a tasty mining destination. Speaking to Stockhead, he said one reason was the overtly pro-mining stance of the current government and Minister for Resources Shane Jones in particular with the other being its remarkable prospectivity. 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'The project, geology and prospectivity has to be number one. And New Zealand is extraordinarily prospective,' he added. The same prospectivity also led Seckold to break one of the tenets of his (admittedly ad hoc) philosophy, which is to focus on the important part. Octagold, which was originally formed by a couple of his former colleagues that then successfully enticed him to become the largest shareholder, had pegged out large tracts of ground over four granted projects, another that is under application and yet another that is being looked over. 'It's a little bit against my religion. I'm a great believer in focus,' Seckold said jokingly about the large landholdings that Uvre now owns. 'I think the whole point is, I can see the rush coming, so despite my beliefs, here's an opportunity and we don't want to just sit there and watch other people pick up the good projects.' 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'You can see very high-grade assays in the Waitekauri project on the bottom level, they just didn't keep drilling far enough.' The brownfields Waitekauri project is the flagship asset that Uvre acquired and is just 8km west of OceanaGold Corporation's 10Moz Waihi gold mine and along trend from three other +1Moz gold deposits in WKP, Golden Cross and New Talisman Gold's Karangahake. One of the three main prospects, Jubilee, has historical production of 260,000oz of gold and silver and is believed to be a potential extension of Karangahake, Recent rock chip sampling has shown grades as high as 18.4g/t gold while early field mapping revealed a much broader area of post-mineral welded ignimbrite than previously recognised, something earlier explorers hadn't fully understood. 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Previous antimony-targeted exploration has also revealed three mineralised trends with rock chip samples of >30% antimony. The company's belief in Lammerlaw having Macraes-style mineralisation received a shot in the arm after its phase 1 drilling intersected mineralisation textures, pathfinder geochemistry and host rock type that's all consistent with early-stage Macraes-style mineralisation. Of the five holes drilled, four returned gold mineralisation with a top result of 2m at 1.05g/t along with elevated tungsten of up to 1750ppm, up to 680ppm arsenic and antimony. Company executive director Joshua Wellischs said the company would now seek to build on these results by targeting potential higher-grade shoots and drill towards a maiden resource. Also engaged in the gold game on the South Island is Siren Gold (ASX:SNG), which is advancing the Sams Creek project – a gold mineralised porphyry dyke that is up to 50m thick, extends for 7km along strike and has a vertical extent of at least 1km. Sams Creek has a resource of 953,000oz at an average grade of 2.4g/t that is contained within the Main Zone fold, one of several gentle northeast plunging folds the Sams Creek Dyke has been folded into. To date, 21,500m of drilling has been completed on the project with 90% focused on the Main Zone. However, similar folds have been interpreted at Riordans, Western Outcrops, Anvil and Barrons Flat along with Doyles and Main Zone extensions. These have the potential to significantly increase the current resource. Additional resources discovered in the Main Zone, Doyles, Western Outcrops and Anvil folds could be accessed from the potential Main Zone underground mine and hauled to the proposed SE Traverse processing facility. Siren expects a decision to be made on its mining permit application by the end of 2025. It then plans to complete infill drilling on the SE Traverse, Carapace and Main Zone by the end of Q2 2026 so the majority of the inferred resource can be upgraded to the higher confidence indicated category. This will be followed by updates to the resource and scoping study. Santana Minerals (ASX:SMI) has been progressing the Rise and Shine deposit within its Bendigo-Ophir project in the Central Otago Goldfields on New Zealand's South Island. Recent drilling has extended the high-grade domain (HG1) beyond the March 2025 indicated resource boundary by confirming mineralised continuity to the north and strengthening the case for future reserve growth. The drilling had targeted down-plunge extensions of Rise and Shine to improve definition of the inferred resource in the northern extent of the deposit with a view to upgrading it to the indicated category for potential inclusion in the mine plan. Notable results include 31.9m at 5.3g/t gold from 303.1m and 11.1m at 9.6g/t from 296.9m. Bendigo-Ophir has a contained resource of 2.34Moz at an average grade of 2.1g/t gold with Rise and Shine hosting the bulk of this at 2.08Moz grading 2.4g/t gold. It benefits from proximity to Queenstown and existing infrastructure including transportation, clean water, green hydropower and low cost power.
SBS Australia
42 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
How many Australians are fighting with Israel's military in Gaza? This group is monitoring
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The exact number of Australians who've served or are serving has not been confirmed by Australian authorities. A freedom of information request in 2024 revealed ABF had intervened with three of four Australian citizens suspected of departing for Israel for military service since 7 October 2023. The Australian Border Force (ABF) previously confirmed that when it becomes aware that a person is departing Australia with the intention of travelling to a potential conflict zone, it "provides the traveller with information on their obligations under Australian law". The AFP said it cautioned all Australians who seek to engage in hostilities overseas to carefully consider their legal obligations and ensure their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence. "Any Australian suspected of committing a criminal offence while in a conflict zone may be investigated by the AFP, and, where appropriate, may face prosecution," a spokesperson told SBS News. The Australian Centre for International Justice is monitoring at least 20 Australians who have served or are serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Source: EPA / Abir Sultan The ACIJ pointed to the 2024 ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in its war on Gaza . In the ruling, the ICJ called on Israel to "take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide", and ordered Israel to "prevent the commission of acts" that fall under under the Genocide Convention — which include "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part"; and "killing members of the group". The ACIJ said Australia, as a state party to the Genocide Convention, has legal obligations to take all possible measures to prevent genocide. Australia is also party to a number of international human rights treaties and recognises the ICJ and its jurisdiction on international law matters. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said last year the IDF is "a professional military committed to international law". Government warns Australians at the border SBS News obtained a copy of a letter from Attorney-General Michelle Rowland addressed to the ACIJ about the issue, in a reply dated 28 July. In the letter, Rowland said while it was not appropriate for the government to provide specific legal advice, "the government has been clear that all parties to the conflict must comply with international and relevant domestic legal obligations". Rowland said the government "continues to discourage" Australians from engaging in conflict overseas, and advocates for the protection of civilians, the upholding of international law and the unhindered flow of aid to the region. "The government continues to caution all Australians who seek to serve with the armed forces of a foreign country to carefully consider their legal obligations and ensure their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence," Rowland said in the letter. "Where appropriate, the AFP may work with foreign law enforcement agencies and international bodies as part of any potential investigation." However, ACIJ said it had been raising its concerns on the issue with the Australian government since December 2023 and said the government's reply was "manifestly inadequate". "The limited cautions issued to date do not sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the atrocities occurring against the Palestinians in Gaza," Khider said. "Issuing vague or weak cautions does not discharge Australia's obligations under international law. "The government must act with urgency and clarity to ensure that its international legal responsibilities are met, and that Australians are not complicit in atrocity crimes." An Australian war crimes investigation unit Greens senator David Shoebridge said his office had inquired nine months ago into why the Australian government was not tracking people fighting in the Israeli and Russian militaries, and had yet to receive a reply. "The Australian government's current policy is 'head in the sand'," Shoebridge said. "If you don't look for war crimes, you won't find them. "The conflict in these areas has only intensified, and concerns about people being implicated in war crimes have only heightened." "We know that thousands of people have been travelling to Israel over recent months, many to fight in the IDF, which is a concern when the government does not track or monitor who is fighting in this appalling war," Shoebridge said. The number of Australians serving or having served with the IDF has not been confirmed, but News Corp in 2023 reported there could be up to 1,000 who have served or were active reservists at the time. The Greens want a War Crimes Investigation Unit set up in Australia. "Other countries have these bodies, and they are effective. The lack of one in Australia makes everyone less safe."
