Attributable to Universities Australia Chief Executive Officer Luke Sheehy:

Thank you, Chair.

My name is Luke Sheehy, and I am the Chief Executive Officer of Universities Australia – the peak body for Australia’s 39 comprehensive universities.

Can I start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the various lands we are all gathered on today and pay my respects to elders past and present.

Thank you to the Committee for the opportunity to be here today and to contribute to this discussion.

Overwhelmingly, this legislation is a step in the right direction.

This bill will give effect to key measures in the 2024-25 federal budget that will have a real and tangible impact on university students at a time when many are doing it tough under the current cost of living pressures.

Changes to the way HELP repayments are made.

Paid placements for students studying teaching, nursing and social work.

And fee-free uni ready courses.

Funding for these initiatives is timely as we seek to expand the higher education system and the number of students we educate to meet Australia’s future economic needs and drive our prosperity.

Universities Australia advocated strongly for these pro-student measures, and I want to congratulate the Albanese Government for prioritising them in this year’s budget and for moving so quickly to bring the legislation before parliament.

That said, Chair, there are some elements of the legislation that we do feel are rushed and require further consideration.

While I have welcomed the Commonwealth Prac Payment, it is our strong view that universities are not best placed to deliver this payment, particularly considering it will need to be means-tested.

Universities are not experts in administering means tests.

We believe that a Commonwealth payment is best administered by a Commonwealth agency with the necessary systems and expertise required to do so.

Services Australia fits this bill.

We also hold concerns around the changes to the distribution of revenue under the Student Services and Amenities Fee scheme.

The bill proposes that higher education providers must allocate at least 40 per cent of student services and amenities fees to student-led organisations.

Our submission goes into detail on why this isn’t necessarily feasible across Universities Australia’s 39 members, and I am happy to discuss this further in questions.

But I will put on the record now that we recommend that changes to the Student Services and Amenities Fees are deferred until the proposal has been further developed in consultation with the sector.

Chair, with regard to the aspect of the bill that deals with the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, Universities Australia supports these arrangements.

Happy to take questions.

ENDS