Rethinking Regulation: What TEQSA Needs to Do Next
- Oct 10, 2025
- 2 min read
Post Accord consultation on TEQSA reform looks comprehensive at first glance. Sixteen questions spread neatly across four themes. In reality, respondents are restricted to filling a form against these 16 prompts. That framing shapes what is asked, and what answers can be given.
If the questions are narrowly procedural, the answers can only be narrowly procedural. What the sector needs is a regulator that acts, not another cycle of meetings with the usual suspects.
Powers TEQSA Already Has Under the Act
Under the TEQSA Act, the regulator already has significant powers:
Registration and accreditation
Monitoring and compliance
Enforcement actions including sanctions
Governance oversight
TEQSA is not lacking authority. The issue is not power — it is how those powers are used.
Where the Gap Lies
The gap is not legislative. It is cultural.
Reluctance to intervene
Narrow focus on individual providers
Positioning as a “partner” rather than regulator
This has resulted in a system where compliance is monitored, but systemic risks are often left unaddressed.
What the Consultation Asks vs What the Sector Needs
The consultation asks what new powers TEQSA should have.
The better question is:
Why isn't TEQSA using the powers it already has?
Theme 1: A Regulatory System That Puts Students First
Students should have a meaningful role in shaping standards
Lived experience should inform regulatory decisions
Theme 2: A Modern Regulator
Shift from reactive compliance to proactive prevention
Act earlier where risks are visible
Theme 3: Streamlined Regulation
Reduce duplication across agencies
Improve data sharing
Maintain transparency without increasing reporting burden
Theme 4: A Joined-Up Tertiary System
Address cross-sector challenges
Respond to system-wide disruptions
Closing Thought
Reform will not come from better consultation forms. It will come from a regulator willing to act decisively, independently, and transparently.
Comments