Will declaring Gold Coast a regional area attract more migrants?

Gold Coast universities say they'll be disadvantaged if international student incentives do no apply to them. Source: Getty

The Gold Coast wants to be renamed from a metropolitan to a regional area so it can boost the number of international students and skilled migrants. The Queensland city's campaign highlights the difficulties in drawing boundaries as the government attempts to replace four separate different definitions with one for all skilled visas. Boasting gleaming high rises along beautiful beaches, the Gold Coast does not fit in with traditional images of regional Australia. But a consortium of Gold Coast education providers is arguing the statistics paint a different picture. Without a change, the Gold Coast won’t benefit from new visas and incentives to be introduced next month as part of the government’s push to ease city congestion while encouraging migrants and international students to go regional.