Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I want to start by thanking all the very courageous young people who came forward with their stories of abuse, harassment and assault to ensure this issue got prominence and got acted upon. We know it is all too often incredibly hard to come forward and share those experiences.

I know, as a parent, I want my young adults to be part of an educational environment where they feel secure and supported. Universities must be places where students can focus on their studies and aspirations without concerns about their safety. Whether they're on campus, online or in student accommodation, every student, regardless of gender, background or circumstance, deserves to pursue their education without fear of violence, harassment, discrimination or assault.

The concerns around sexual assault on campus are unfortunately longstanding. In 2017, the Australian Human Rights Commission released Change the course: national report on sexual assault and sexual harassment at Australian universities, which shockingly revealed that one in five students experience sexual harassment in university settings. In 2021, the national safety survey reported this dropped to one in six—not much improvement. Alarmingly, one in 20 university students reported being sexually assaulted on campus. To make matters worse, this was most likely to occur with younger students. The most impacted groups were non-binary students and transgender students.

I should say that I recently attended an event. It was a fantastic event by Consent Labs that was hosted by Sydney university. Their information and offerings are incredibly powerful in relation to assisting with this difficult problem.

Painfully, while 16 per cent of students who had been sexually harassed sought support, only three per cent of them then made a formal complaint. We know that, in this area, change has been far too slow for far too long. Student protests highlighted the ongoing inaction and inadequacies of the universities and government in addressing gender based violence on campuses. It was as a result of that mobilisation of students that we finally got some action. This bill shows a suite of other legislation arising from issues raised by the universities accord interim report and follows other safety and gender based violence initiatives, which include the creation of the National Student Ombudsman; the Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education; and the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. Lots can be said about that action plan and its lack of actual KPIs and underpinning policy to actually achieve it.

In relation to this bill, I agree that it presents an opportunity to build a safer, more supportive future for students and staff in higher education. It's a commitment to ensure that our universities are environments where every individual feels secure, respected and empowered. Australia's universities are places of knowledge, growth and opportunity. They should be places of safety, too. Yet, gender based violence remains a reality for too many students and staff, so the importance of a safe and supportive higher education sector cannot be overstated. Institutions must not only provide high-quality education but also cultivate an environment where students and staff feel protected, respected and empowered.

I want to acknowledge the incredible importance of this, and I thank the government and the minister for acting upon this and bringing it to the forefront. It's acknowledging those survivors who have brought these issues to the fore. They've bravely shared their stories. There are advocates who have fought for justice and researchers who have provided us with the crucial insights into the prevalence and impact of gender based violence in universities. Without their ambition, resilience and determination to hold universities accountable, there would be no push towards meaningful change.

This bill sets out the basic regulatory infrastructure for compliance with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence. It binds higher education providers to comply with the code and sets out the compliance and enforcement powers, including public disclosure of information. It also ensures that responsibility for creating a safe environment for young people on campus will not rest solely on survivors or support organisations, because addressing gender based violence in universities is a collective responsibility that involves everyone—educators, administrators, policymakers and students alike.

The draft code has been released. Higher education providers will be required to take evidence based steps to prevent gender based violence on their campuses. It includes requiring vice-chancellors and CEOs to make a whole-of-organisation plan and report to their governing bodies every six months on their implementation actions. It will enforce transparency and accountability, making sure that institutions follow through on their commitments to safety for their students. It has a requirement to provide evidence based prevention education and training to staff and students and consider gender based violence in recruitment and promotion decisions. In that respect, I applaud the code's whole-of-organisation approach, which ensures that institutions create safer accommodation for students, implement trauma informed support systems and use data driven methods to continually improve their response.

While this bill is a welcome step to stamping out gender based violence on campuses, policy alone is not enough. Institutions need training, guidance and long-term investment to create lasting change. Since 2014, universities have faced continual financial decline. By 2020, 40 per cent of universities were operating in deficit, rising to 70 per cent in 2023, marking a significant financial downturn compared to the pre-COVID-19 and pre-job-ready-graduate years. Our university sector is struggling, and in places like ANU and now UTS we've seen students bear the brunt of the crisis. I've spoken recently in this place about the impact of the job-ready scheme on the funding model of the university sector, but the decline runs deeper, and the consequences are clear.

If we're serious about ending gender based violence and ensuring safe campuses and learning environments, then the government must go further by ensuring our universities are equipped with the necessary resources, staff and stability to carry out these functions effectively. Students and staff must feel and trust that, when they report incidents of violence or harassment, their concerns will be taken seriously and actions will follow.

So I welcome this bill, and I'm optimistic that this bill will set the groundwork to help build a safe, accountable environment for our young adults on university campuses. However, guidance and long-term investment to ensure universities are well equipped to meet these obligations remain necessary.

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