National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to violence

Work is underway to establish the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (National Code), which will be a new form of regulation for the higher education sector. The National Code will set national standards and requirements that higher education providers must meet to effectively prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including in student accommodation.

The Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025, which provides a power for the Minister of Education to make the National Code as a legislative instrument, will be introduced into Parliament on 25 July 2025.

Pending the passage of legislation, the National Code is expected to commence on 1 January 2026 for universities and 1 January 2027 for non-university higher education providers.

The National Code will be monitored and enforced by a specialist Gender-based Violence Branch that is currently being established in the Department of Education. This new Branch will educate providers on how to comply with the National Code; conduct targeted compliance; support providers by sharing best practice across the sector; and gather new and better data on gender-based violence in higher education. The Branch will work closely with the National Student Ombudsman and the national regulator to ensure a coordinated approach.

The National Code will come into effect on 1 January 2026 for Providers that are Table A Providers and Table B Providers under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth) and on 1 January 2027 for all other Providers registered under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (Cth).