Contents
1Short title#
This Act is the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment (National Student Ombudsman Levy) Act 2026.
2Commencement#
(1)Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
| Commencement information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
| 1. The whole of this Act | At the same time as the National Student Ombudsman Levy Act 2026 commences.However, the provisions do not commence at all if that Act does not commence. | 1 January 2027 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2)Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3Schedules#
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1 · Amendments
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011#
1 Section 5
Insert:
National Student Ombudsman levy means levy imposed by the National Student Ombudsman Levy Act 2026.
National Student Ombudsman Levy Rules means the rules made under subsection 31A(2).
2 Paragraph 24(a)
Omit “to 31”, substitute “to 31A”.
3 After section 31
Insert:
31ACondition—National Student Ombudsman levy must be paid#
(1)A registered higher education provider must pay the following when they are due and payable by the provider:
(b)any penalty for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy.
Note: National Student Ombudsman levy is imposed by the National Student Ombudsman Levy Act 2026 on bodies that are higher education providers within the meaning of the Ombudsman Act 1976.
(2)The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make rules (the National Student Ombudsman Levy Rules) providing for, or in relation to, all or any of the following matters:
(a)penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy;
(b)to whom penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy are payable;
(c)the issue of notices extending the time for payment of National Student Ombudsman levy or penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy;
(d)the refund, remission or waiver of National Student Ombudsman levy or penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy;
(e)the review of decisions made under the National Student Ombudsman Levy Rules in relation to the collection or recovery of National Student Ombudsman levy or penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy;
(f)any other matters relating to the collection or recovery of National Student Ombudsman levy or penalties for late payment of National Student Ombudsman levy;
(g)any matters necessary or convenient to be provided for carrying out or giving effect to this section or section 31B.
31BPayment of National Student Ombudsman levy#
(1)National Student Ombudsman levy is payable to the Commonwealth.
(2)If National Student Ombudsman levy is payable by a person, the Secretary must give the person a notice setting out:
(a)the year to which the National Student Ombudsman levy relates; and
(b)the amount of the National Student Ombudsman levy; and
(c)the date on which the National Student Ombudsman levy is due and payable (which must be at least 30 days after the day the notice is given); and
(d)the other information (if any) specified in the National Student Ombudsman Levy Rules.
(3)The National Student Ombudsman levy is due and payable on the day specified in the notice.
(4)Failure to give a person a notice under subsection (2) does not affect the liability of the person to pay National Student Ombudsman levy.
4 Application of amendments
Section 31A of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, as inserted by this Schedule, applies to a registered higher education provider whether the provider’s registration is granted before, on or after the commencement of this item.
[Minister’s second reading speech made in—
House of Representatives on 10 September 2026
Senate on 16 September 2026]
(121/26)
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au, © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Compilations may have been reformatted.