Committee: Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Date referred: 29 July 2025
Submissions close: 28 August 2025
Interim report: 19 September 2025
Reporting date: 11 December 2025

Under Standing Order 25(2)(a)(v), the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee agreed to re-adopt its inquiry into the quality of governance at Australian higher education providers, specifically inquiring into:

1. The adequacy of the powers available to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency to perform its role in identifying and addressing corporate governance issues at Australian higher education providers, with particular reference to:
   1. The composition of providers' governing bodies and the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of their functions and processes, including in relation to expenditure, risk management and conflicts of interest;
   2. The standard and accuracy of providers' financial reporting, and the effectiveness of financial safeguards and controls;
   3. Providers' compliance with legislative requirements, including compliance with workplace laws and regulations;
   4. The impact of providers' employment practices, executive remuneration, and the use of external consultants, on staff, students and the quality of higher education offered; and
   5. Any related matters.

Extension of time to report

The committee was initially due to table its final report by 4 December 2025.

• On 25 November 2025, the committee agreed to extend its reporting date to 11 December 2025.

All correspondence and evidence previously received for this inquiry has been made available to the new committee. This means that submissions already provided to the committee for this inquiry do not need to be re-submitted. The committee intends to refer to the evidence received during the 47th Parliament.