To: NSW Government
Grant International Students Opal Concessions!
Dear Premier of NSW,
International students play a key role in bringing a vast amount of talent, culture and energy into their local communities across NSW.
They also make ongoing financial contributions, participate in the development and growth of this beautiful state of NSW and commit to being good citizens who show up for the locals of NSW when things are tough.
International students are more than cash cows. They deserve to be treated with respect and to have access to opal concession cards so they have an equitable access to public transport across NSW. This allows them to travel and explore what both metro, regional and rural NSW also have to offer.
Your commitment to ensuring their difficulties are recognised after the devastating impacts of the pandemic on their mental wellbeing and their communities back home further shows NSW's commitment to being the right choice for them to move here to study, learn and gain new life opportunities.
Why is this important?
NSW is the only state across Australia that does not offer international students concession opal cards. To prevent them from accessing concession opal cards as full-time fee paying students prevents them from treated as students and also places several limitations on their ability to freely travel around NSW.
International students have played a significant role in upholding the economic backbone of NSW through the pandemic and it is important to treat them as more than cash cows.
