The International Student and Police Reference Group, launched last week, will replace the Police-Indian Western Reference Group which has not met since August. That group was established last January.

Maribyrnong's Inspector Ian Geddes, who heads the new group, said it was relaunched to add a higher level of "governance and consistency".

As part of the changes, a second reference group has been established in the south-east.

Both will be under the umbrella of a police committee.

Inspector Geddes said that although the earlier group did not meet for some time, it had had an impact.

But International Students Association president Amit Menghani, who had resigned from the first group, questioned if it would achieve anything.

Mr Menghani was asked to be part of the new reference group but he said he would wait and see how it worked.

The group is made up of police, students and representatives of universities, student unions and the Migrant Resource Centre.