On 19 December 2006, the former Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop MP, announced the commencement of the review of the impact of the reforms on the higher education sector as required under the Higher Education Support Act 2003
The review will be undertaken by the Department of Education, Science and Training and will investigate the impact on the higher education sector of the higher education reforms enacted through the Act and set out by the Australian Government in the Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future (May 2003) reform package.
The review will be conducted over 2007 and 2008 and will be overseen by an Interdepartmental Steering Committee, chaired by the Department of Education, Science and Training, with membership from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Treasury and the Department of Finance and Administration.
Consultation will be undertaken with higher education providers, peak bodies, professional organisations and other interested parties, including via submissions. Independent, external consultants may be engaged to assist with consultation and examination of technical issues.
Given the scope of the reforms enacted through the Act, the issues to be considered will be structured into phases, with consultation and research targeted to the issues being considered in each phase. Discussion papers will be released covering the issues to be considered in each phase and comments will be sought from the sector through structured consultation.
The review will report to the Minister, and may be used to inform her consideration of further reforms to the relationship between the Government and higher education providers.
To commence the review, the Minister released a discussion paper inviting submissions on: the current discipline groupings and relativities within the cluster funding mechanism; and the pipeline arrangements for new Commonwealth funded places.
Discussion paper PDF 
(70.8 KB) RTF 
(1.2 MB)
The paper proposed a number of key questions relating to the current discipline groupings and relativities within the cluster funding mechanism and the pipeline arrangements for the funding of new Commonwealth funded places. It sought views from higher education providers, peak bodies, professional organisations and other interested parties on the discussion questions.