The Higher Education Gender-based Violence Regulator (GBV Regulator) welcomes the release of the National Student Ombudsman’s (NSO) public statement on its recent complaint investigation “Walk the Talk”.
The report found that The University of Technology, Sydney failed to appropriately action recommendations from two internal reviews it commissioned in 2023 and 2025 to improve its processes for the handling of reports of gender-based violence and sexual harm and its student conduct rules and procedures.
The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, now requires all higher education providers to proactively prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
This includes a requirement under Standard 4.1 that a provider must ensure that its responses, practices and support services are safe, person-centred and consistent with a trauma-informed approach and best practice and Standard 2.9 that requires that a provider must implement any recommendations made by the NSO in relation to gender-based violence which are directed to it.
The GBV Regulator is currently working through the Whole of Organisation Plans and Outcomes Frameworks that universities provided in January 2026 that outline how universities are meeting the requirements of the National Code.
The GBV Regulator works closely with the NSO and Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency on regulatory matters relating to gender-based violence.