New South Wales, Australia

Partly as a way of helping to repair Australia’s reputation after attacks on Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne. Education planners in New South Wales may invite Punjabi students to study in Coffs Harbour, the ‘capital’ of Australia’s holiday coast.

The Coffs Coast Advocate daily newspaper reports the possibility on its website, indicating that education providers, councillors and business leaders might visit India to float the invitation.

Sikh community leaders hope the plan could reach agreement when Indian High Commission representatives visit Coffs Harbour later this month. India’s Consul General Amit Dasgupta has already been to the city.

Southern Cross, a regional university in New South Wales, and the country’s Technical and Further Education Commission are looking favourably upon the idea of Punjabis studying trades, diplomas and degrees locally.

Coffs Harbour has a large Sikh population in Woolgoolga and it is thought this would strengthen the appeal of one of Australia’s most beautiful cities to Punjabi students.

The Advocate reports Coffs Harbour Council’s general manager Stephen Sawtell as saying there will need to be detailed discussions of the benefits of a delegation to India before the council pledges full support.

If all parties are in favour, forging links with institutions in India could follow, he says.