Bremner stressed “this plan has to keep its teeth”. But,for the first time in about a decade of campaigning for sexual violence reform at universities,she said,“it feels like things really are about to change for a whole generation of kids. Someone’s listening.”

Kinnersly said she expected consultation to be short and sharp,as the plan built off “a decade of campaigning”. More work around improving safeguards for staff too would be ironed out as the code was developed alongside universities,she said.

“But this is moving at pace,” she said. “The minister knows this a moment not to tinker around the edges but do something substantial.”

The sector’s existing watchdog,Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) had repeatedly failed to investigate complaints that universities were mishandling sexual violence incidents,Bremner said,“though we’ve always been told it’s the place to get help.”

The agency recently told parliament it hadn’t formally investigated any of the 39 complaints or concerns about how universities handled sexual violence received since 2017. This is despitepreviously assuring government it would immediately investigate them andwas actively investigating many “individual cases” already.

In last month’s Senate estimates hearings,its chief executive Dr Mary Russell said TEQSA was bound by a very particular meaning of the term “investigate” and,while it had assessed some student complaints,it couldn’t examine individual cases. It backed calls for a standalone student ombudsman as a “gap that needs filling”.

A spokesperson for the agency said it was helping the government examine how the new body would operate.

“We acknowledge the term ‘investigations’ has previously been used to describe TEQSA’s compliance activities by a range of parties and we apologise for any misunderstanding this has caused,” a spokesperson said. “We have always,and will continue to,carefully assess and respond to all complaints raised with TEQSA about sexual harm.”

Meanwhile,universities cautioned against over-regulation,saying their record on responding to sexual violence was ahead of other workplaces and institutions.

Last week,Universities Australia announced universities had signed onto a new voluntary charter of best practice,calling on other sectors to join them.

Bremner said:“It was almost a cut and paste of the same promises universities made in 2017 right after” the Human Rights Commission released itsfirst landmark survey of sexual violence on campuses.

“There’s been pockets of university staff doing good work,but not enough,” she said. “Lately,we’re even seeing a trend of some universities making students put in FOI requests to see the outcome of their own complaints.”

Most universities still aren’t publishing promised data on incidents of sexual violence and their responses.

Stories of complainants who were discouraged from reporting or were re-traumatised by the experience at universities were also heard by the Senate inquiry,where it emerged that Universities Australia never developed the consent awareness campaign for which it got $1.5 million in government funding.

“Hearing their stories never leaves you,” Kinnersly said. “They’re meant to be embarking on the most exciting chapter of their lives.”

Monash University provost Sharon Pickering,who also consulted on the plan,backed the full suite of reforms proposed. “This is a gamechanger and we should take this opportunity as a sector,” she said.

If you or anyone you know needs support,you can contact the National Sexual Assault,Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on1800RESPECT (1800 737 732),Lifeline 131 114,orBeyond Blue 1300 224 636.

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