Gender based violence has no place in Australia. It certainly no place in our universities. Universities should be places of learning, opportunity and growth—places where students feel safe, supported and empowered. When I began my time as a university student I had left home to live on campus. I was young, living away from home for the first time, excited, open to what lay ahead and keen to learn and experience everything on offer. My time at university was amazing, but for some of my friends it was not always the case. It is for these students, for every student, that I rise today in strong support of the bills before us—bills that establish the national higher education code to prevent and respond to gender based violence. These bills are a decisive step. They will give students the confidence and pathway to make a complaint, to be heard and respected and to have their complaints—many shocking, serious, criminal and life-shattering—acted on to achieve justice.
These bills give the National Student Ombudsman the authority it needs. They establish enforceable standards to prevent harm, respond effectively when incidents occur and hold universities accountable. They are built on evidence, extensive consultation and the tireless advocacy of students, staff and survivor groups. I would like to acknowledge every young person who has shared their traumatic story so that tomorrow's students are better protected and supported. What we know is that, across the nation, many students report experiences with sexual assault or harassment or feel that their complaints have been ignored. One in 20 university students report being sexually assaulted on campus, one in six report sexual harassment and half of all students who have made a complaint feel their concerns were not taken seriously. These are not abstract numbers; these are real people navigating study, life and sometimes profound trauma.
The code strengthens the work in prevention and response to gender based violence already undertaken by universities, and it ensures consistent national standards across every higher education provider. The ombudsman is central to this framework. Independent, authoritative and empowered, the ombudsman ensures that student and staff voices will be heard and that recommendations are acted on. It transforms advocacy into action. It makes the complaints process more transparent, accountable and effective. It means prevention is no longer an option; it is a core responsibility—it is a leadership responsibility. Universities will be required to implement evidence based prevention, education and training for both staff and students. They must consult with students, staff and people with lived experience to ensure programs are practical and responsive, and recruitment and promotion practices must take into account any history of gender based violence. Leadership will also be informed by evidence and best practice. Non-disclosure agreement will only be permitted at the request of the survivor. When incidents occur, responses must be trauma informed, person centred and respectful of educational outcomes. Support must be immediate, safety measures must be enacted without delay and students and staff must have clear, accessible avenues for assistance. Universities will be required to report deidentified data. This monitoring will drive improvements. It will contribute to a national evidence base on what works.
Student accommodation is also included. Many students live on campus, and many incidents of harm occur in this environment. Following disclosure or a formal report, universities must immediately implement safety measures and provide urgent support services. Where accommodation is affiliated but independently operated, universities must secure agreement to meet code requirements or risk losing the benefits of that affiliation. Universities cannot pass responsibility to private colleges or other entities. Under these bills we are making it absolutely clear that safety cannot be outsourced. The stories we hear and the statistics we read provide the clearest basis possible for swift action now—and it's not only students who carry the burden. Staff, too, often carry the weight of these experiences. It is often counsellors, student support officers and academic staff who frequently manage disclosures and provide guidance while balancing heavy workloads and emotional strain. Many have spoken of the emotional toll of navigating complex situations while trying to uphold the safety and wellbeing of students. I want to take a moment to recognise all those officers and staff who have long advocated for this reform.
Universities are not only places of learning but also places of innovation, research and evidence based practice. This bill recognises and harnesses that capacity. It encourages universities to engage in continuous improvement and to research and implement the most effective strategies to prevent and response to gender based violence. It acknowledges the important role that staff, students and researchers play in developing innovative programs that strengthen campus safety and wellbeing. Universities have been testing peer led initiatives, trauma informed curricula and digital reporting platforms, all designed to create safer environments and empower students to speak up. The code supports these initiatives and ensures that successful innovations can be shared and scaled across the sector. And it is not punitive; it is collaborative. It builds on the partnerships that already exist between students, staff, leadership and specialist organisations. By embedding innovation and continuous improvement into the framework, the bill ensures that universities are proactive and not reactive. It encourages them to build on the work they are already doing to anticipate risks, evaluate programs and adapt strategies to changing circumstances. It also provides opportunities for staff and students to contribute ideas, research findings and lived experience to national policy discussions. In doing so, it helps ensure that universities continually evolve to better protect their communities.
This approach recognises that safety and wellbeing are dynamic goals. They require vigilance, creativity and shared responsibility. These reforms are not imposed lightly. They build on years of advocacy, research and lived experience. The universities accord report underlined the urgency of addressing sexual assault and harassment in universities. It demonstrated that prevention and response systems must be consistent, robust and nationally enforced. These bills respond directly to those findings. They embed accountability in the highest level of leadership. Vice-chancellors and CEOs will be personally accountable and compliance will be rigorously monitored. Importantly, civil penalties, infringement notices, compliance notices and injunctions will ensure that institutions act to better protect students, but, at the same time, these bills acknowledge the hard work universities already do. Across the country, universities like Deakin University in my electorate strive to provide safe, inclusive and supportive environments. Staff provide counselling, they run education programs and they respond to disclosures with professionalism and generally with care. Student leaders work tirelessly to create peer support networks and advocate for their fellow students. These reforms do not diminish that work. They strengthen it. They provide clarity and ensure that good practices are consistent everywhere.
Prevention is a central pillar of this legislation. Evidence shows that proactive education and training reduce incidents of gender based violence and build a culture of respect, accountability and safety. Staff and students trained in bystander intervention, respectful workplace practices and trauma informed response are empowered to act early, preventing harm before it occurs. These programs are not optional; they are an expectation and they are a leadership responsibility. Vice-chancellors and CEOs must demonstrate that these initiatives are prioritised. They must ensure programs are implemented effectively and continuously evaluated for impact. Leadership at every level matters. Where leadership is visible, accountable and committed to cultural change, students and staff feel safer, they feel supported and they feel confident to speak up.
I want to acknowledge the advocates who have fought tirelessly for these reforms over many years. Organisations like End Rape on Campus campaigned for years to make universities safer. They worked tirelessly, often unpaid, amplifying student voices and highlighting gaps in protections. End Rape on Campus has now closed not because the work is finished but because Australians have a government that is acting. The advocacy of groups like End Rape on Campus laid the foundation for these bills. Their work is now embedded in the Ombudsman and the enforceable code.
The evidence is clear. Significant numbers of students experience sexual assault or harassment and many feel that their complaints have not been taken seriously. This must change, because these numbers represent real people, students navigating fear while trying to learn, grow and succeed, students whose horrendous experiences are likely to affect them for the rest of their lives. Our response must be robust—as robust as the challenges are real. Universities should be places of opportunity, learning and growth, not fear, not harassment and not silence.
These bills put students first. They put accountability first. They put safety first. They transform advocacy into action, policy into enforceable practice and good intentions into tangible protections. These reforms provide clarity and consistency. They ensure that every student, every staff member and every campus meets nationally enforceable standards. They strengthen the foundations of trust between students, staff and leadership. They recognise the dedication of staff and the courage of students. They empower leadership to act decisively. They embed prevention, accountability and support into the culture of higher education.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to making these reforms possible—the universities accord panel, the expert reference group, education ministers, departmental officers and, most importantly, the advocates and survivor voices who have fought for these reforms for so long. Their work has transformed advocacy into law and practice.
In closing, these bills will help ensure that our universities are safe, supportive and accountable institutions for all and they will provide staff with the tools, authority and support to act when it matters most. They are a national benchmark. They'll create a culture where prevention, support and accountability are inseparable, where students and staff can trust that their safety is the highest priority. Having two daughters that have been through university, I know that, for them, these bills will help. We need to ensure that students who go to university feel safe and supported and can be their absolute best. This is the decisive action our universities, our staff and our students need and deserve.
