Introduction

The University of Sydney Students' Representative Council (SRC) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Inquiry into the Human Rights Bill 2025. The University of Sydney SRC represents undergraduate students and hosts various collectives and networks, including but not limited to the International Students Collective, the Disabilities and Carers Collective, and the Education Action Group. The SRC Office-bearers represent and advocate for undergraduate students across various issues, such as education quality and access, housing, living affordability, disability rights and accessibility, and democratic and civil rights. 

As representatives of students at the University of Sydney across many lived experiences and issues, we present this submission to highlight the importance of human rights for students. We strongly support the enactment of a comprehensive Human Rights Act in New South Wales.

In preparation for this submission, the SRC launched a new survey (the 2026 SRC Survey) to gain updated and relevant statistics and testimony from students. The survey was disseminated to students via Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Xiaohongshu, and the SRC newsletter – meaning it reached wide and varied audiences. 70 students completed the survey in the short time it was open before submissions to this Inquiry were due, and we expect more survey responses to continue coming in. We would be pleased to share further results from the 2026 SRC Survey with this Inquiry at a later date.

Problems

In this section, we will outline the various problems students face that are categorical violations to human rights. We will focus on the following issues: poor access to education, high cost of living with a focus on housing unaffordability, limited access to social security, compromises to health, poor accessibility and disability accommodations, and undermined rights to democratic freedoms and civil liberties.

Education

Many marginalised groups of people are discriminated against because of the requirements to both access and successfully complete a Bachelor’s degree. The excessive costs of degrees for both domestic and international students alike prevent many people from pursuing higher education in this country. 

For domestic students, the HECS-HELP system alone has left thousands with unpayable debt. HECS debt on average for people in their 20s has doubled from 2006 to 2024 with HECS debt alongside student contribution fees between 1.7 and 6.2 times in increase.^[1] Under the Job Ready Graduates (JRG) scheme, students who hope to study the arts and humanities are paying $50,000 or more and up to $90,000 for double degrees.^[2] The JRG scheme and ideal is “highly exclusionary, entrenching and exacerbating forms of exclusion commonly experienced in the academy”^[3], where students from marginalised backgrounds explain how this scheme has created additional barriers for completing their degrees successfully. This scheme has not yet been abandoned, even under the new 2026 Federal Budget, despite extensive campaigning and calls highlighting the harms the scheme enacts upon students, especially those who are already disadvantaged and marginalised in society. 

The rising costs and debts of accessing higher education place a hindrance to those considering studying higher education, but also those who are actively enrolled in higher education. 

Student satisfaction at universities, as a result of increasing corporatisation, class sizes and coupled with the cost of living, has significantly lessened, with student satisfaction rates as surveyed by the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching suite in the Graduate Outcomes Survey declining significantly from 80.6% in 2020 to 74.9% in 2025. The quality and experience of universities including at the University of Sydney has declined according to student self-reports, despite supposed high global rankings. 

Many students are faced with a choice: pursuing higher education and experiencing severe, long-term debt, or forgoing it completely in favour of survival during the cost of living crisis. Those who choose to study may be forced to work extra to meet the demands of the cost of living crisis, hindering their ability to fully partake in education. Furthermore, university corporatisation and course cuts limit the quality of education students receive, limiting student satisfaction. 

Overall, the exorbitant costs of degrees create long-lasting systemic barriers to accessing education. In Australia, education is recognised as a fundamental human right, but it is not explicitly enshrined as an enforceable right in NSW or federal law. It should be.

Cost of Living

In addition to degree costs, the broader costs associated with being a student, or, the cost of living, is extremely high. This is particularly true in the domains of housing, food, and transportation. Cost-of-living pressure is described by Universities Australia as a ‘double squeeze’, where students are paying “40 per cent more in rent, 27 per cent more for groceries, 39 per cent more for utilities and 43 per cent more for fuel…. the cost of maintaining a basic student standard of living has risen by 29 per cent.”^[4]

Housing

Access to housing is a major problem for students. Under current circumstances, many students are forced to spend the majority of their income on housing whilst living under dangerous housing conditions.

In Redfern, the median rent cost for 3 bedroom share houses is $1100 per week, or $367 per week per person. In Newtown, the median rent cost for a 2 bedroom apartment is $820 per week, or $410 per week per person.^[5] University accommodation is extremely expensive as well, with the cheapest room available at the University of Sydney costing $335 a week for a 48 week contract. The 7 metres square rooms in the Regiment building cost $417 a week.^[6] With rent assistance for a single sharer being only $146.27 per fortnight or $73.14 per week,^[7] many students face extreme housing stress, in which they must spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing.^[8]

Furthermore, many students are forced to live in dilapidated homes, exposing themselves to black mould, overcrowding, and/or inappropriate conduct from landlords as a means of survival. In the 2026 SRC Survey, students anonymously provided testimonies showing the dire situations they find themselves in, including:

“The only rooms available for rent were in homes with substandard or unsafe living conditions. I had to choose between signing a lease with one of these places and continuing to pay for a hotel room while I sought proper accommodation.”

“I almost didn't come to USYD because I was unable to find accommodation”

“Cost of accommodation makes it impossible to move out despite lack of support (ie transphobic family) at home.”

“Needing to live in a caravan due to cost of rent closer to uni”

“The current property I stay on has a relatively mild mould problem, stemming from poor ventilation in the bathroom/shower. But some of the other rentals I inspected before finding this place had horrific mould you could smell from the moment you stepped in.”

“My parents are financially abusive. The housing crisis has completely denied any chance of getting away from this problem.”

“Prices for rent were listed as a range on their website. After applying and getting a spot, I was given a price on the high end of that range. I was not able to select other options due to lack of lower priced options and lack of a system to specify the price I was looking for from the provider and was blindsided by the $200 increase from what I expected to look for. By that time, I felt I had to secure some accommodation so I was forced to go with it.”

“Agreed end of tenancy (said they’d renovate but just leased it again within a month so someone else is living there now) black mould throughout property, flooding in common areas (literally whole living room flooded - furniture soaked), floorboards rising made kitchen appliances unsafe for use.”

“When I first moved back to Sydney with my family for university, it was impossible to find decent and affordable housing near campus. When we finally found a place, it was a two bedroom home in Campsie that I shared with 5 people where we had our bond withheld from us when we moved out.”

“My house one property split into 2. My address is an illegal address and the landlords son has moved into the front of the house and has disconnected our internet and shares our gas and water and yet we have to pay the bills. Gas and water is billed to the entire property and the realestate agent states that no one lives in the front but now someone has moved into it. I told the realestate agent this and she told me that the landlord is the nursing home so we should “be charitable” and pay the bills for him. My roommates and I are on centrelink and very poor and cannot afford to be charitable. I had a look through our lease, and it is stated that the landlord should be paying for ALL WATER. yet, we have been paying for it. We do not have separated water meters, gas meters, or NBN for the entire property. Also; whenever we bring up issues with the realestate agent she does not address any of the issues. We told her at the last inspection and on the conditions report that the aircon does not work and it still hasn’t been fixed. Also there is mould EVERYWHERE in the house and leaking everywhere. Additionally, we had a party Saturday May 2 2026. It was a small party with approximately 20 of our friends and some drinking (everyone is over the age of 18). To be courteous, I notified the man who lives at the front bit of the house that we’d be listening to music and to let us know if it’s too loud, and let him know he was welcome to come by for a brief ‘hello’. The man is in his late 50s (estimate) and came by to say hello, and then proceeded to stay and talk to one of my friends (20 years old). He was flirting with her, touching her non consensually, and eventually gave her a bag of cocaine, and told her to do a like of cocaine and come back to him to hookup. She did not do this as she was very scared. He also told her how he’s been in and out of rehab, in and out of jail, and how his family is involved in illegal business. We are uncomfortable and scared and need to leave ASAP. Also, as we are all uni students and I work from home we need internet connection.”

“Everywhere is too expensive. Even if I was, in theory, gaining income beyond my allowance, I would need a job higher paying than minimum wage and to have to work really long shifts weekly whilst also juggling university at the same time. That goes on top of living fees which would make it harder for me to actively move out. Flicking through places for rent consistently gives me stuff beyond $200 weekly, which is simply out of the question for me at this stage, and will likely be till I finish my degree.”

Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is a major area of concern for students. The Universities Australia Student Finances Survey 2017 found that 1 in 7 students regularly go without food.^[9]

At the University of Sydney, the USU’s FoodHub was expanded this year to meet the demand trajectory for FoodHub services by serving students five days per week, across all weeks of the year outside of university shutdown. It served over 7,000 students in 2025, of which over 82% were international students. Frozen meals and fresh produce are the most in demand items. 

In 2025, the University also introduced a $5 meal canteen serving lunches for students on weekdays. The meals were consistently and quickly sold out, driving demand for a permanent $5 meal canteen to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner opening in August 2026. More statistics on the usage and satisfaction with these initiatives can be provided upon request. 

The University is acting to meet students' needs to combat food insecurity, but only due to us being a wealthy university and consistent advocacy from student groups. Without a Human Rights Act, this will stay tenuous and unreliable, and with the onus on higher education institutions instead of governments. 

Transport

The cost of transport compounds the issue of unaffordable local housing, further embedding financial disadvantage into who can most easily access education. The ongoing issue of inequitable access to concession opal cards means international students and part-time domestic students must pay full price to travel to and from university. When asked in our 2026 SRC Survey about how this impacts students (socially, financially, in terms of safety, etc.), some of the answers were:

“I avoid transit because I lack access to the Concession Opal Card. I leave earlier to attend events, which means I ultimately spend less time on schoolwork. I also do not buy all the groceries I need at once, so I can walk to my residence. I, therefore, have to spend extra time planning my meals each day.”

“It feels especially unfair because part time students are exactly those who are more likely to have taken work arising out of a financial need - that’s why we’re part time! So it doesn’t make sense that we should be ineligible for concession fares, in my view.”

“The cost is a lot because I'm only a part time student and I'm unemployed because I find it really hard to balance uni and work with my mental health condition. When I can, I try to leave home later or stay out longer so that I don't travel during peak hour and have to pay higher fares. I'm lucky that I have savings from when I did work but as I spend more time unemployed I get more stressed about my finances and feel like I need to suffer through working while studying again. $50 a week to go to my classes during semester is insane”

The costs are dire for students in terms of their sense of belonging, ability to study and engage in extra-curriculars, ability to afford to live or keep up with health conditions, and other circumstances.

Social Security

Despite the excessive costs associated with being a student, the narrow eligibility of social security and its conservative amount offers inadequate relief to students.

“I can't find a job that I can balance with uni, and with Centrelink paying $70 a week, there’s no way I can find a place.” - Response to 2026 SRC Survey 

The Youth Allowance rate for single people aged 18 or older with no children living away from their parents’ home is $677.20 per fortnight or $338.60 per week.^[10] This is completely disproportionate to the reality of housing, food, transport and other living expenses. 

For many students living at home with family, eligibility for Centrelink is barred under the false presumption of financial dependence for under 21s. The age of independence does not reflect students’ real independence which occurs much earlier on. 

Consequently, both students who are and aren’t eligible for Youth Allowance are forced to work part time or full time jobs, which thereby limits their ability to engage deeply, continue, and succeed in their education.

International Students

International students also are not afforded the same rights as domestic students and citizens, which creates the risks of exploitation, discrimination, financial insecurity, and more. Education is one of Australia’s largest export industries, with international education bringing in $53.6 billion to Australia’s economy in 2024-2025.^[11] In 2022, the University of Sydney received almost half of its income (47%) from international students.^[12] Despite this, international students experience a lack of social security and are exploited in Australian society. Most of the other human rights issues targeted in this submission are worse and exacerbated for international students. 

The Migrant Justice Institute (MJI) reports that working international students are severely underpaid by $3.18 billion yearly.^[13] International students are pressured to exceed maximum working hours off the books, are paid less than award wages, and are threatened with reports to immigration if they dissent or complain. 

The existence of organisations like the Fair Work Ombudsman do not alleviate or prevent these issues. Furthermore, when asked if they are aware of their legal rights in Australia, 75% of respondents (all international students) reported they are not so aware (50%) or not at all aware (25%). 25% also reported they are only somewhat aware of their legal rights in Australia. No international student respondent reported they are very aware. 

International students contribute valuably to Australian society, through their participation in the community, engagement in University community, such as through clubs and societies, participate in the labor force, and provide diversity to cultural exchange. However, they still face a lack of social security and are systematically subjugated in Australian society. They deserve to feel safe in Australia.

Health and Disability

Campus Accessibility

In the 2026 SRC Survey, 57% of students who identified as disabled reported the physical accessibility of the university as “OK” or “Not very accessible”. Common issues include lifts being frequently out of service, inadequate rest or recovery spaces, inaccessible working, examination or teaching spaces, and no accessible alternative when infrastructure fails.

A key area of concern for disabled University of Sydney students has been poor indoor air quality at the university. The SRC and SUPRA’s submission into and appearance at the Clean Indoor Air inquiry found widespread issues of untreated mould, poorly ventilated classrooms, apathy around sickness, and pollutants from construction.^[14] Accordingly, the SRC Disabilities Collective has struggled to attain access to funding for an air purifier in the student disabilities space.

Health Services

The university health service can have a wait time upwards of 12 days during the semester. Amid immense inaccessibility to bulk-billed GPs, especially on short notice, students are unable to equitably access necessary medical documentation for special consideration.

Systems Accessibility

Online systems and infrastructure are highly inaccessible. This inhibits access to crucial content, services, and processes essential to a student’s experience.

The audio in recorded lectures can be too soft and/or muffled. Additionally, video content and recorded lectures can be accompanied by inaccurate transcripts or captions (if there are any at all), making it difficult for students with auditory processing issues to access learning materials. 

The simple extensions and special considerations processes, which grant students extensions or waive late penalties, are also inaccessible. Students are given conflicting information about the processes and must navigate complicated portals. The automation of these processes creates more frequent errors, increasing stress and administrative burden among the student and staff alike. 

“I recently applied for special consideration for an exam and it was certainly not reviewed by a human - it was denied. I allegedly had not provided necessary information to say why I didn’t submit for SC before the exam time, when the misadventure occurred at the time of my exam …how could I have submitted something BEFORE?”

“I have been having a lot of trouble with the simple extension process…the simple extension process is meant to be a stress-free, automated system for ALL students. However, this year I’ve noticed the system has changed for students with an academic plan due date. Now, instead of being able to apply for a 5-day extension like my peers, my applications get sent through the special consideration portal, and often take longer than the extra five days I’ve requested to be granted (sometimes they don’t get approved for weeks). This means I’m left to inform my tutors, ask for permission to submit 5 days later, and spend unnecessary time stressing about whether my extension will be granted or not (even though simple extensions are meant to be for everyone, no matter their needs) for sometimes weeks at a time. I find this completely unfair, and think it’s an equity issue the university needs to address and fix. My academic plan extension is not an ‘extension’, it’s added time to make up for the barriers I face with my disability. So, to no longer be able to access a simple extension like the rest of the university feels quite discriminatory, especially considering we were never advised of the system change, or told how to navigate it.”

“The new requirements for simple extensions will make it significantly more difficult and taxing for me as an autistic person to apply for simple extensions. (And I was not aware of this change until calling the student services number about a simple extension that hadn’t been approved for 15+ days.) I will now have to write an email directly to my unit of study coordinator, explaining why I require a simple extension. Unit of Study coordinators (within my music degree) are often people who know me personally, who I will continue to interact with, who are prominent in the industry I plan to work in, and sometimes who are also tutoring me and marking my assessments. The reasons why I require a simple extension are often related to autistic burnout and overwhelm, which make it difficult to interact with people and to interpret social context. If I know that I am being judged directly by someone with whom I have a relationship and who is going to be making important decisions about me (whether that be marking my work or judging me in audition panels, or in the industry), that is an extremely complex social situation for me to navigate, when I just need a small accommodation and support. It doesn’t make sense to me why eligibility for simple extensions should be judged by academics with a stake in my education, rather than by people who have no bias (real or perceived), who will make consistent and fair decisions, and who have training in university policy.”

Furthermore, students report difficulties with navigating student support services itself. This undermines confidence in and the ability to seek help in the first place, which is a huge deterrent for many students. 

“Even the student services support and portal and FAQ on the site is so convoluted, you have to spend ages to find what you actually need.”

Adjustments

The process of applying for disability adjustments is extremely onerous, requiring re-application every semester. This frequently involves students needing to get new medical documentation, causing financial disadvantage to disabled students to merely access adjustments they require for equitable learning. Such financial and administrative burden is particularly onerous for international students.

Adjustments are made in a one size fits all approach to suit the needs of the mainstream. For conditions like ADHD and anxiety in particular, students are simply given extensions, rather than meaningfully given adjustments that are unique to the student’s needs. Furthermore, adjustments are often not confirmed until weeks into the semester, after key assessments and decisions have occurred.

Many students with disabilities have reported difficulties with approved adjustments being implemented. This can be a result of attitudes among the unit coordinator where adjustments are not considered legitimate and disabled students are viewed as lazy. In one instance, a student had adjustments to not be called on to speak in class. The unit coordinator refused to apply this adjustment because they viewed it as incompatible with a learning outcome of the unit. Lack of implementation is also often a matter of assessment software not accurately reflecting adjustments, or poor communication from the Inclusion and Disability Services to teaching staff. Consequently, access to adjustments requires self-advocacy by the student, thereby undermining the original purpose of Academic Plans — to establish an equitable baseline for students. This creates a huge power differential for students with their teaching staff. 

“I find my tutors and unit coordinators are always happy to provide my adjustments. But for most of my classes, none of my deadlines get adjusted on Canvas, which adds a lot of extra stress about whether or not they know/are okay with my adjustments being used for the assessment being done. It’s just unnecessary anxiety and means I have to chase people to follow up about my accommodations.”

“Trying to actually access these resources feels stuck behind so much bureaucracy and layers of paperwork and reading that it just feels more stressful to actually undergo going through all those than just go without accommodations…having to consistently re-prove my disability since high school, and realising university would do the same, just creates so much extra weight.”

As a result of these bureaucratic, financial, and social problems, many disabled students forgo accessing Academic Plans at all, consequently struggling throughout their studies without necessary adjustments, or dropping out of studies completely.

Work Placement Inclusivity & Accessibility

In recent years, there has been extensive research examining the work placement experiences of students with disability, which has been identified as an area which requires significant improvement.^[15]

The research strongly shows that current university placements do little to support the professional identity formation processes of diverse students, particularly students with disabilities. Multiple in-depth studies conducted in an Australian university identified the following^[16]:

1. Placements were incredibly variable and finding a supportive supervisor or an inclusive workplace depended on luck.
2. Universities rarely exhibited signs of intentional scaffolding of placements, leading to varying and unstable placement experiences for students with disabilities.
3. Poor placement experiences often lead to diminished self-confidence and lower sense of belonging in their courses, contributing significantly to higher rates of drop-out and under-performance.

The findings show that the responsibility of ensuring successful placements is unfairly placed on the student with little to no support from the university, placement organisations, and supervisors.

It is severely concerning that little has been done to even acknowledge the decades of research which not only has outlined specific areas of extreme inequity in higher education but also provided explicit frameworks and frameworks for policy change. Students with disabilities have long been demanding change from universities and from the government to address this inequity, who are currently bearing the responsibility for navigating hostile learning environments alongside the many other pressures that students are facing today.^[17]

Protest and civil liberties

The SRC has observed democratic and civil liberties, particularly relating to protest and free speech, being continually restricted and vilified both on university campuses and in broader society. We desperately need a NSW Human Rights Act to protect our basic democratic rights. 

At the University of Sydney, the SRC and civil society have been outspoken against infamous policies such as the Campus Access Policy 2024 and the ‘5 key policies’ of 2025. These arose in the aftermath of the 2024 Gaza Solidarity Encampment – a peaceful, student demonstration for human rights that was continuously attacked, smeared, and scapegoated. 

The Campus Access Policy 2024 received criticism from the Australian Democracy Network^[18], the NSW Council of Civil Liberties^[19], Amnesty International Australia^[20], the University of Sydney Law School^[21], and many more groups. Despite such widespread condemnation and outrage about the implementation and content of the policy, only two changes of substance were made in early 2025. One was the lifting of the ban on outdoor megaphones without approval, with the amendment allowing them for “crowd management” but not to “harass or harm others”.^[22] Another was to remove the 72-hour notice requirement for protests, and replace it with a requirement for notice “no later than when first communicated to people other than organisers”.^[23] However, both of these changes are minor and have not changed the main criticisms of Campus Access Policy. 

In practice, the second change to remove the 72–hour notice period for protests and instead enforce notification as soon as the protest is announced has led to increased scrutiny and complaints from the University when protest organisers do not submit notice at the same time as announcing protests on social media, even when these may only be half a day or a few working hours apart. The issue with the original 72-hour notice period was having to provide notice at all, and that it removed the potential for snap protests organised within 72-hours. The new clause does now allow for the latter, but at the cost of making it harder for all protests to be compliant and making it easier for the University to find things to complain about or punish organisers for. The substance of criticism of the Campus Access Policy has been ignored. 

In a similar vein, the University’s ‘five key policies’ were introduced and amended with very minimal feedback taken on board. These ‘five key policies’ are: The Acceptable Use of ICT Resources Policy 2025, the Email and Electronic Messaging Policy 2025 (formerly University Staff and Students Broadcast Email Policy), the Flag Policy 2025 (formerly Flag Guidelines), the Promotional and Display Materials Policy 2025 (formerly Advertising on Campus Policy), and the Public Comment and Social Media Policy 2025 (formerly Public Comment Policy). 

The issues with these policies and the lack of a proper feedback process are detailed in an Honi Soit article from June 2025.^[24] This article was also presented and tabled by the SRC at a hearing of the NSW Parliament Inquiry into University Governance in April 2026 as evidence of the University not meaningfully listening to student or staff unions, and not upholding democratic rights. 

In our 2026 SRC Survey, less than 24% of respondents said that they knew their rights to and the rules around protests and free speech at the University of Sydney. Most said that they felt able to express their opinions on campus, but some of those that said ‘no’ or ‘mostly no’ gave the following reasons, which focus on issues arbitrarily deemed more sensitive by the University (e.g. Palestine and Israel) and heightened risks for non-citizens:

“While I have had limited issues with expressing my beliefs through demonstrations on campus, I have previously been subject of disciplinary investigation for expressing my opinions on Palestine at university. Despite one of my cases resulting in no misconduct (though my other one is currently being evaluated), the toll this took on my wellbeing and studies was severe. I had to consult with multiple caseworkers and even seek legal advice, which took up a lot of my time and mental capacity and distracted me from my honours research project and coursework.”

“harassment/complaints from the university for previous activism, campus access policy, intimidation by USyd protective services. It feels like USyd is against me rather than with me.”

“It's partially a personal issue, because I'm terrified of confrontation and know I will panic and won't be able to stand up for myself if someone threatens me. Also knowing the university will crack down on activity relating to topics such as Palestine makes me more unwilling since that'd be like confrontation level 5000. although shamefully i know that just makes me another cog in the machine”

“I have listened to first-hand accounts of the university suppressing opinions dissenting from uni administration by delaying and obscuring the procedures to hold protests on university grounds and by withholding services to student academic works that criticize certain aspects of the institution.”

“CAP + intl student status”

“The Campus Access Policy”

“It feel[s] like [surveillance] is a[n] issue that prevents people from speaking out.”

“There is a concern about my visa.”

“Because if I say how I feel about student admin and lack of support I will likely not be able to graduate”

In response to a similar question about the ability to express beliefs and opinions off-campus in broader society, students shared some of the following risks and concerns, which again focus discrimination, anti-protest measures, and visa concerns:

“There is a concern about my visa.”

“I'm scared that I'll face discrimination.”

“My ability to continue living with family is dependent on not revealing any of my beliefs (ie my family is highly conservative).”

“Inability to have free speech in open society”

“Chris Minn's attempts to curb protests”

“I’m afraid I will be deported because of progressive speeches”

“If I try to explore the world and certain ideals of justice through political demonstration, I fear that my vulnerable visa status is at the interpretation of law enforcement observing my actions with a bias for violence”

“People are less accepting of queer people.”

“same as above, but with society and police instead of university”

“again fear of retribution due to police surveillance, harassment of my family”

These concerns reveal very worrying effects, particularly on marginalised groups, about their right and ability to protest or speak out against issues. Whether these fears are founded or not, they should not be a part of our society.  In response to the question “does recent police violence against protesters make you feel less safe and less confident to protest?” 62.79% of respondents answered ‘yes’, 20.93% ‘somewhat’, 9.3% ‘not really’ and only 6.98% ‘no’. 

Situating Human Rights in these problems

Evidently, students face numerous barriers to education in the domains of degree costs, health services, accessibility, disability accommodations, housing, social security, and civil liberties. Such barriers thereby create a systemic barrier to accessing education. The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights states in Article 13.2.c that “higher education shall be made equally accessible to all…. by every appropriate means”. Students’ (and prospective students’) human rights are continuously violated through these increasing issues and barriers.

Beyond barriers to accessing education and furthering inequality in this country, many of the issues outlined above that students experience are exploitative and dangerous. Insecure housing, exploitative jobs or scams, lack of access to healthcare, and other issues are serious issues that we can all identify, but are not issues that are explicitly prohibited by human rights legislation. 

As such, legislation that enshrines human rights to education, housing, social security, healthcare, and protest and civil liberties would offer some relief, offering necessary legal protections and guarantees to students. Violations of these human rights can then be challenged with remediation provided to people who have been denied their basic rights. Students’ lives would be drastically improved systemically in the day-to-day, as one of the most vulnerable groups in Australian society, facing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis.

Recommendations

We recommend that the New South Wales Parliament enact a comprehensive Human Rights Act for NSW. We would also welcome the opportunity to further elaborate on the challenges and dangerous experiences of students in higher education, and why we believe that a NSW Human Rights Act is a necessary starting point to address them. 

References

^[1] The Australian Institute, It’s time to reduce the cost of university, 14 January 2025, https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/its-time-to-reduce-the-cost-of-university/

^[2] Duffy, C, ‘The government is making major changes to universities. Here's what to expect’, 30 June 2026, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-30/university-reforms-what-is-changing/106844454

^[3] Patfield, S., Gore, J., & Fray, L. (2025). Problematising the ‘job-ready graduate’ ideal in Australian higher education: New forms of exclusion in the academy. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52(5), 3221–3238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00849-x

^[4] Universities Australia, 2026. https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/students-hit-by-double-squeeze-as-cost-of-living-rises-and-jrg-debt-remains/

^[5] Tenants NSW, Rent Tracker Postcode Tool, 2026, lhttps://www.tenants.org.au/resource/rent-tracker-postcode-tool

^[6] The University of Sydney, 2026 Term Lengths and Rental Rates, https://usyddatatransfer.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/starrezstatic/Camperdown_and_Darlington-Published_2026_Rates.pdf

^[7] Services Australia, How much you can get, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-rent-assistance-you-can-get?context=22206

^[9] Universities Australia, At A Glance: The 2017 Universities Australia Student Finances Survey, https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Student-Finances-Survey-Factsheet.pdf  

^[10] Services Australia, How much you can get, https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-rent-assistance-you-can-get?context=22206

^[12] Elwig Pollock, A., Butt, C., & Rawsthorne, S., ‘‘It’s worth it’: The shocking cost of degrees for international students’, 26 January 2026, https://www.smh.com.au/national/it-s-worth-it-the-shocking-cost-of-degrees-for-international-students-20251226-p5nq5v.html&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1783061260383968&usg=AOvVaw1heJxi0YNxUMnO0qTpmffu

^[13] Migrant Justice Institute, Off The Books: Inside Australia's Hidden System of Migrant Worker Exploitation, https://www.migrantjustice.org/report-off-the-books

^[14] University of Sydney Students' Representative Council Disability Collective and Carers’ Network & Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association Disability Inclusion Network, Inquiry Into Clean Indoor Air, 29 January 2026, https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/94364/0071%20University%20of%20Sydney%20Students%27%20Representative%20Council%20Disability%20Collective%20and%20Carers%27%20Network.pdf

^[15]Dollinger, M., T. Corcoran, D. Jackson, and S. O’Shea. 2024. “Employability for Inclusion: The Urgent Need for a Biopsychosocial Model Perspective.” Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management 46 (2): 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2023.2258324

^[16]Dollinger, M., J. H. Nieminen, and R. Finneran. 2024. “A Lucky Draw? Theorising How Work Placements Develop Diverse University Students’ Career Stories.” Studies in Higher Education 49 (12): 2599–2610. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2316260

^[17]Dollinger, M., R. Ajjawi, R. Finneran, and S. O’Shea. 2024. “Conceptualising Responsibility and Hostility within Work-Integrated Learning Placements for Students with Disabilities.” Disability & Society 39 (9): 2217–2235. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2023.2209276

^[18] Australian Democracy Network, Letter to vice chancellor of University of Sydney regarding the Campus Access Policy 2024, 8 July 2024, https://australiandemocracy.org.au/letter-to-usyd-campus-access

^[19] NSW Council of Civil Liberties, Statement: NSW Council for Civil Liberties condemns Sydney University "Campus Access Policy", 6 July 2024, https://www.nswccl.org.au/statement_campus_access_policy

^[20] Amnesty International Australia, Australian Universities’ moves to restrict student protests may breach human rights law, 11 July 2024, https://www.amnesty.org.au/australian-universities-restrict-student-protests-may-breach-human-rights-law/

^[21] Amelia Raines, ‘Sydney University Law School pen open letter “seriously concerned” about Campus Access Policy’, Honi Soit, 21 September 2024, https://honisoit.com/2024/09/sydney-university-law-school-pen-open-letter-seriously-concerned-about-campus-access-policy/

^[22] Mehnaaz Hossain, ‘University of Sydney announces amendments to the Campus Access Policy’, Honi Soit, 2 March 2025, https://honisoit.com/2025/03/university-of-sydney-announces-amendments-to-the-campus-access-policy/

^[23] Ibid 

^[24] Grace Street, ‘USyd Doesn’t Listen: Five Key Policies Updated and Implemented Following “Feedback” Process’, Honi Soit, 6 June 2025, https://honisoit.com/2025/06/usyd-doesnt-listen-five-key-policies-updated-and-implemented-following-feedback-process/