NSW regulating to accommodate foreign students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 27, 2011 -- Australian Homestay Network (AHN) welcomes a move by the NSW Government to regulate the home-share accommodation industry for international students.

A government committee finished its inquiry into international student accommodation in NSW this week and recommended that the parliament consider legislating to regulate the industry.

Regulations would be aimed at improving, monitoring and maintaining standards of homestay accommodation for the students.

The committee adopted the suggestions of Australian Homestay Network and other industry organisations as a basis for the legislation.

AHN welcomed the recommendations of the Social Policy Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the NSW Parliament which conducted the inquiry.

The executive chairman of AHN, David Bycroft, said, "We welcome the committee's recommendations and are pleased that the Government is to consider introducing legislation to improve accommodation for foreign students.

"Regulations will deter the minority of homestay providers who threaten to give the industry a bad name by failing to provide satisfactory accommodation," he said.

The committee reported, "On the question of regulation, the committee acknowledges that there is always a balance to be found between the need to set standards and the risk of over regulating an industry which functions through a degree of flexibility.

"That being said, mandating the implementation and regulation of reasonable standards for homestay is unlikely to remove suitable providers from the industry.

"Indeed the greater risk to the industry would be to allow operators with poor or dangerous practices to tarnish the homestay concept and undermine those providers who are committed to safe and effective standards," it reported.

"In this regard, the committee would consider the AHN's eight standards as a suitable model."

AHN adopted the eight standards developed by the center of English teaching at the University of Sydney. It also adopted a system of monitoring people working with children and young people in the homestay industry.

The committee commended AHN for setting the standards and committing to monitoring which proved effective in Queensland.

The eight standards relate to: online registration for students and hosts; insurance for hosts; training for hosts; signed agreements stating obligations for hosts; documents to orientate foreign students; documents to guide students and outline responsibilities of hosts; emergency phone support for students and hosts; and management of payments made on behalf of students to hosts.

AHN operates in all States and Territories of Australia. Mr Bycroft said, "We expect NSW will lead others to regulate the homestay industry across Australia for the benefit of students visiting from overseas and families hosting them at home."

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Media contacts: David Bycroft, phone 0402 925 632 or 0417 784 047 or email dbycroft@homestaynetwork.org ; Wal Baker, phone 61 2 9416 7111 or email wal@wb-pr.com .

Photos to illustrate this story are online at www.wbpublicity.com.au/ahn/ahn.htm .

Photo caption: David Bycroft welcomes State move to regulate accommodation for foreign students.

Recommendations 4 and 5 of the committee's report, which relate to this news release, can be copied from www.wbpublicity.com.au/ahn/report.htm .

More information is at www.homestaynetwork.org .


AHN
Australian Homestay Network Pty Ltd
ABN: 52 124 610 319
90/ 495 Boundary Strand, Spring Hill, Qld, 4000
PO Box 849,Toowong BC, Qld, 4066, Australia

AHN has local management teams in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

Phone: 0402 925 632 or 0417 784 047
Fax: 61 7 3014 0546
Email: dbycroft@homestaynetwork.org
Website: www.homestaynetwork.org

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