The New South Wales (NSW) Universities Sector Inquiry, launched by the state's Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues in August 2025, has thrust the spotlight onto longstanding issues of financial transparency, governance, and staff welfare in Australia's higher education landscape. Triggered by a petition from over 2,600 concerned citizens, the inquiry examines the legislative frameworks governing NSW's ten public universities, the fallout from recent restructurings, and their overall financial health. As hearings progressed into early 2026, revelations about exorbitant consultant spending and persistent wage underpayments have dominated discussions, painting a picture of institutions prioritizing external advisors over core obligations to employees and students.

NSW universities, including heavyweights like the University of Sydney (USyd), University of New South Wales (UNSW), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and University of Wollongong (UOW), collectively generated $14.3 billion in revenue in 2024, posting a $583 million surplus amid post-COVID recovery fueled by international student fees. Yet, beneath these figures lie troubling patterns: opaque allocations to Big Four firms like KPMG and Deloitte, while casual academics and professional staff grapple with underpayments totaling hundreds of millions sector-wide.

🔍 Unpacking Opaque Consultant Spending in NSW Universities

One of the inquiry's starkest findings is the lack of transparency in consultant expenditures, estimated at around $640 million across NSW's ten universities in 2024 alone. Professor Corinne Cortese, an accounting academic from UOW, testified that piecing together these costs is "just so difficult to unpick" due to inconsistent categorization—some universities list them separately, others bury them in "other expenses." Only Macquarie University and USyd provide clear line items, complicating sector-wide scrutiny.

This opacity extends nationally, with Australia's 38 public universities shelling out at least $1.5 billion on external consultants and contractors in 2024, often bypassing in-house capabilities. Critics argue this reflects a "consultocracy," where vice-chancellors lean on firms for strategic advice, restructurings, and even compliance fixes, despite universities employing thousands of experts. Jack Thrower from The Australia Institute highlighted USyd's creative accounting: reporting a $545 million surplus while claiming an underlying $68.6 million loss by excluding restricted funds like donations.

• USyd: $18 million disclosed, but contract registers mysteriously omit Big Four engagements.
• UTS: $7 million to KPMG for the Operational Sustainability Initiative, tied to job cuts.
• Nous Group: ~$15 million from Australian unis, using proprietary UniForum benchmarking.

Such spending raises questions about value for money, especially when councils—dominated by corporate and consulting backgrounds (over 50% of 177 members)—approve these deals. Elected staff and students represent just 18% and 10%, respectively, fueling calls for greater diversity.

UTS and the Controversial KPMG Spreadsheet

A flashpoint in the inquiry was UTS's engagement of KPMG for its restructuring program. Witnesses revealed a spreadsheet ranking academics by research income and publications—flawed data that a senior executive halted amid backlash. KPMG partner Chris Matthews insisted it was advisory only, with staffing decisions solely UTS's purview, but committee members pressed on ethical responsibility: "It’s quite evident where the direction is that that list was pointing to."

This incident underscores broader concerns: consultants producing tools that influence redundancies without accountability. UTS Vice-Chancellor Andrew Parfitt previously denied a "master spreadsheet" existed, only for its disclosure via GIPA requests. The $100 million cost-cutting drive, partly consultant-fueled, has eroded trust, with staff advised to "take up baking and journaling" post-layoffs—a tone-deaf suggestion from KPMG-linked advice.

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Wage Underpayments: A Systemic Crisis

Wage underpayments, dubbed "wage theft" by unions, plague the sector. NSW universities remediated $28.5 million in 2024—up from $9.7 million prior—while provisions dropped to $164 million, with $35.3 million in new issues flagged. Nationally, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) recovered over $218 million for 110,000 employees from 2019-2025.

Casualisation exacerbates this: complex enterprise agreements lead to misclassifications, poor record-keeping, and delayed fixes. UNSW faced a $213,120 Federal Court penalty in January 2026 for systemic breaches hindering FWO probes. USyd anticipated $7.4 million liabilities to ongoing staff plus $70.1 million more, yet spent disproportionately on consultants like PwC for payroll audits—$23 million backpay followed, but remediation costs ballooned.

UOW's woes, including $6.6 million repayments ordered by FWO, tie into governance lapses now under ICAC scrutiny.

Photo by Andy Wang on Unsplash

The Irony of Consultant-Led Remediation

Poignantly, universities hire the same firms critiqued for opacity to fix underpayments. UNSW tapped Deloitte for remediation, despite a judge slamming their IT overhauls over simple timesheets. Allan Mills, Deloitte partner, noted implementation lies with the uni, but the cycle persists: spend on consultants to repay wages underpaid partly due to mismanagement.

Audit NSW urges prioritizing repayments and mitigating controls like payroll reviews—four unis comply, six in progress. Yet, repeat audit findings (38 in 2024) signal entrenched issues.

Governance and Financial Sustainability Challenges

The inquiry critiques councils' self-perpetuating nature and corporate tilt, mirroring national Senate probes decrying misaligned executive pay. NSW unis' reliance on international fees (43% from top three countries) risks volatility amid visa caps.NSW Audit Office Universities 2024 Report

Liquidity woes affect half the sector, with cash reserves dipping below three months at six unis. Restructurings at UTS, WSU, and others prioritize surpluses over staff, impacting teaching loads and research.

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Stakeholder Perspectives: Unions, Academics, and Unis

Unions like NTEU decry "industrial scale wage theft," demanding tribunals for exec pay. Academics like Cortese push council reforms; students fear diluted education. Unis defend consultants as essential for complex tasks, promising Treasurer-mandated disclosures soon.

• Unions: "Entrenched non-compliance."
• Academics: Diversity deficits.
• Unis: Post-COVID necessities.

Impacts on Staff, Students, and Research

Underpayments erode morale; casuals (majority workforce) face insecurity. Restructurings cut research capacity—UTS spreadsheet saga exemplifies data misuse risks. Students endure higher staff-student ratios (up at eight unis), potentially harming outcomes.

Photo by Andy Wang on Unsplash

Path Forward: Solutions and Reforms

The inquiry eyes consistent reporting via Treasurer directive, stronger GIPA compliance, and council elections. NSW Audit recommends AI policies, cyber training, capital reviews. Broader fixes: Simplify agreements, boost in-house expertise, cap consultant reliance.

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Outlook for NSW Higher Education

As the inquiry continues—reporting pending—pressure mounts for accountability. With enrolments booming (309,892 EFTSL), unis must balance growth, compliance, and mission. Positive steps like $28.5M remittances signal progress, but transparency is key to restoring trust.

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