From our Chief Executive Officer
We’re in one of those periods where a lot is happening beneath the surface. There might not be major legislation moving through Parliament right now, but there are plenty of conversations underway that will shape the legislative and operating environment for our sector over the months and years ahead. From the ATEC implementation and better regulation to the government’s ongoing work on international education, research and student funding reform, there is no shortage of activity.
One of the strongest messages I’m hearing from members is that universities need room to focus on what they do best: educating students, conducting research and serving their communities. That’s why I used a keynote address at the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association conference in Adelaide this week to talk about regulation and the growing compliance burden facing our sector.
Let me be clear: accountability matters. Universities should be transparent, accountable and held to high standards. But accountability is not the same thing as overregulation, and recently the balance has shifted. Over the last few years, layers of reporting, compliance and assurance requirements have been added to the system. Most were introduced with good intentions. Few have ever been removed. The result is a regulatory architecture that has become increasingly complex, fragmented and resource intensive.
Every additional reporting requirement comes with a cost. Every duplicated process diverts time, money and leadership attention away from students, research and innovation. Across the sector, that burden is now significant. As we enter a new era of stewardship under the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, there is an opportunity to reset the conversation. The ATEC should help simplify the system, improve coordination and provide long-term stewardship. It should not become another layer in an already crowded architecture.
If Australia is serious about lifting productivity, strengthening research capability and achieving its skills ambitions, we need a regulatory framework that enables performance rather than simply measures it. Less duplication. Less complexity. More trust. More focus on outcomes.
The work to clear the red tape holding our institutions back is happening in earnest through the Better Regulation Working Group which UA is co-chairing with the Department of Education. Encouragingly, as we saw in last week’s federal budget, there is growing recognition across government that regulation has a cumulative impact and that the balance is not always right. This is good, but action is better, and UA will continue working to bring clear ideas to the table to reduce the regulatory burden our members are feeling.
This week also saw the launch of UA’s new Solutions Series: In Conversation initiative – a platform designed to bring together leaders from across government, industry and higher education to tackle some of Australia’s biggest challenges. I had the pleasure of being joined by Tech Council of Australia CEO and Strategic Examination of Research and Development panel member Dr Kate Cornick for our first conversation.
The focus was a simple but important question: now that the SERD has reported, what will it take to turn the recommendations into real results? We discussed the opportunities in front of Australia to strengthen research and innovation, build future industries, lift productivity and create the conditions for more ideas to move from the lab to the marketplace. We also spoke about the importance of getting the policy settings right and maintaining momentum behind reform.
For universities, the message was clear. We have a critical role to play in Australia’s innovation ecosystem. Universities educate the workforce, undertake the foundational research that powers discovery and work with industry to solve real-world problems. If Australia wants to compete in a more complex and contested global economy, universities must be central to the solution.
I also spent time in Adelaide this week, meeting with colleagues from Adelaide University and Flinders University. These visits are always valuable. They provide an opportunity to hear directly from members about the issues they are navigating and the opportunities they are pursuing.
What struck me again was the resilience and ambition across the sector despite a challenging operating environment. Whether it is managing financial pressures, adapting to policy change, investing in new research capability or supporting students, universities continue to demonstrate why they are such important national institutions. Thank you to both Nicola and Colin for meeting with me this week, and the various other colleagues I spent valuable time with along the way.
Looking ahead, Parliament returns next week. While we are not expecting significant legislation affecting our sector in the immediate term, we know Minister Clare continues to develop a number of reforms expected to emerge in the coming weeks, including the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill and changes to the Threshold Standards. That means the next few months will be important. Much of the government’s higher education agenda is now moving from review and consultation into implementation.
UA, on your behalf, will continue working closely with government, parliamentarians and stakeholders to ensure the sector’s voice is heard as these reforms take shape.
I’ll leave it there for today. I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing weekend.
Chief Executive Officer, Universities Australia