

Writers
Ella Vanderzwan
JasmineJones, Digital Editor & Content and Copy Editor
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Writers
Ella Vanderzwan
JasmineJones, Digital Editor & Content and Copy Editor
ErinCoull, Content and Copy Editor
Togatus acknowledges the Palawa people of Lutruwita Togatus operates and is physically distributed across Lutuwita (Tasmania) and the Eora Nation, and digitally acrossAustralia We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded We deeply acknowledge, with respect, the traditional owners of both of these lands, the Palawa, Gadigal and Wangal peoples


Students
Ineka Leffler




The opinions expressed herein are not those of the editors, the publishers, the University of Tasmania, or the Tasmanian University Student Association Reasonable care is taken to ensure that the content and information included is as up-to-date and accurate as possible at the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken towards Togatus for any errors or omissions If you have concerns or questions about anything that has been published, contact the Editor-In-Chief, Ineka Leffler, by email
Before we get started on this very important edition, how much do you know about the current cost-of-living crisis in Tasmania? Circle your guesses and find the actual answers at the bottom of the page.
1 Who became the world’s first trillionaire?
a Mark Zuckerberg
b Jeffrey Bezos
c Elon Musk
d Larry Page
2 What does NTEU stand for?
a Nuggets That Eat U
b National Tertiary Education Union
c Not This Everloving Universe
3 How much was UTAS’deficit last financial year?
a $27 7m
b $12 3m
c $43 2m
4 How much has the average rent price in Hobart risen compared to this time last year?
a 5 8%
b 10 6%
c 12 5%
d 15 4%
5 How much was a 600g block of Devondale cheese in 2014? $7 90 $6 20 $8 90
6 How much is a 625g block of Devondale cheese in 2026?
a $12 25
b $14 35
c $16 95
7. What percentage of the state’s electricity will all three plannedAI data centres in Northern Tasmania consume?
a 10%
b 20%
c 30%
d 40%
e 50%
8 How much is the estimated salary package forWoolworths CEO,Amanda Bardwell?
a Up to $8 5m
b Up to $7 8m
c Up to $9 1m
d Up to $11 9m
e Up to $15 2m

Ella Vanderzwan
TUSA Food Hub are uncertain where their funding will come from going forwards. 52% of UTAS students are food insecure.
Rightnow,everythingistooexpensive ColesandWoolworthshavebeenmaking record-breakingprofits,whilealsounderpayingworkers,asmoreAustraliansbecome food-insecureeachyear Therisingcostofessentialslikerentandfoodhavebeen hittingstudentsparticularlyhard
33%ofAustraliansarefoodinsecure(FoodbankHungerReport2025) Thisnational averageisevenhigherforFirstNationshouseholds,with41%experiencingfood insecurity(2022-2023NATSIHS) Thisnumberisridiculouslyhighfortheso-called “luckycountry” UTAS’s2026FoodSecurityreporthasrevealedthatin2026,more thanhalfofstudents(52%)reportedexperiencingfoodinsecurity
Studentsaremissingclassestowork,skippingmealsordroppingoutentirelytomake endsmeet Researchhasfoundthataweeklybasketof15everydaystaplesthatcost around$39in2000nowcostsover$93in2024 Thisisariseofmorethan135% over24years MeanwhileColesandWoolworthsaremakingmillions
Together,thesupermarketduopolyowns65%ofthegrocerymarket(ABCNews) In2025,Colesmadea$108bnprofit(ColesGroupAnnualReport)whileWoolworths madeahalf-year$374mprofit(Williamson&Jackson) TheAustralianCompetition andConsumerCommission(ACCC)foundinitsSupermarketsinquirythatColesand Woolworthshavelimitedincentivetocompetewitheachotheronprice,concluding thattheirduopolyinthesectorissettocontinue.
Inresponse,theparliamenthaspassedamendmentstotheCompetitionandConsumer RegulationsAct(2010),banningexcessivepricingofgrocerieswithintheFoodand GroceryCode Ineffectsincethe1stofJuly,anylargesupermarketchainwitha revenueexceeding$300bn(currentlyonlyColesandWoolworths)willnowincur financialpenaltiesiftheACCCfindsthatanyitemsare“significantlyexcessive” comparedtoproductioncosts It’sdebatablewhetherthisbanmeanstheaverage Australianwillpaylessatthecheckout,asmanyoftheban’stermshavenotbeen defined,makingthelegislationhardertointerpretandoffenceshardertoprovein court
tosurvive,moreorganisationsareemergingtomeettheneed LoavesandFishesand OzHarvesthavebeenprovidingfoodtocommunityorganisationsacrossTasmania, whileFoodbankAustraliacanprovidelocationsoffoodpantriesaroundyourpostcode In responsetotheongoingfoodsecuritycrisiswithintheUniversity,theTasmanianUniversity StudentAssociation(orasweknowit,TUSA)hasrespondedthroughtheirFoodSecurity Program,includingtheTUSAFoodHubs,aprogramprovidingfreefreshproduceand essentialstostudents,aswellaspaidoptions($5and$8tiers)foradditionalpantryitems
IrecentlydiscussedtheTUSAFoodHubandTUSA’snewsocialenterprisecafe,Grounded, withKimWhite,thepowerhousecurrentlyleadingbothinitiatives
OnethingthatstoodoutfrommydiscussionwithKimwasthatnoneoftheFoodHub's currentoperationalcostsarefromdirectuniversityfunding ThefundingfortheFood Hubsiscoveredthroughgrants,fundraisingandcommunitysupport,ratherthanthe universitydirectly Initallytheuniversityalsogave$400kin-kindsupportwhenthe programstartedin2023 TheUTASStaffandAlumniGivingprogramhassimilarly contributed$150kover2024and2025 WhileTUSAarecurrentlyfundingtheprogram,to delivertheFoodHubconsistentlytheywouldneedtocutanotherprogram’sfundingtofund theFoodHub,orrecieveahigherpercentofSAAFfees(wheretheycurrentlyrecieve40%) Whiletheuniversity’sinitialin-kindsupportwascrucial,nowthattheprogramhasfoundits feetanditbeingusedwidely,themoneyhasdriedup
Withoutongoingfunding,thelong-termsustainabilityoftheFoodHubhasbecome increasinglychallenging AccordingtoTUSA,theFoodHubsfaceanuncertainfuture withoutongoingsustainedfundingandareatriskofclosingdown.IfGroundedis commerciallysuccessful,theHobartCityFoodHubwilllikelybesustainedbythecafe However,thiswouldnotbethecaseifthereisincreaseddemandattheHobartCityFood Hub,andstudentswouldhavetogohungry
UTAS’s2025annualreportwasrecentlyreleasedandshowedthattheuniversityisina $277mdeficit UTAS’s‘otherexpenses’listedintheirreportadduptobe$259,823,000 Thiscategoryencompassessomanythings,butessentiallycoverseverythingthatisn’t salariesforacademicandnon-academicstaff Itisbrokenupintoalotmoresections,but onemajoronebeing‘Scholarships,donationsandprizes’section,whichisvaluedat $37,827,000 Ipersonallybelievewithinthatpotofmoney,theuniversitycouldsparethe $320,000neededtocovertheprogramthatkeepsstudentsintheuniversity
Whilegovernmentsflounderinthefaceofthecost-of-livingcrisis,grassrootsand communityorganisationsaresteppingup Asmoreandmorepeoplerelyonfoodbanks
Eveniftherewasn’t,UTASdidhaveadeficitof$277mthisfinancialyear Iamnotsureif makingita$28mdeficitwouldreallymakealargechangeontheircurrentfinancial situation ThisfundingwouldbeabletosecureTUSAFoodHubasapermanentfixturein

theuniversity’ssupportprograms,andsolidifyUTASasauniversityactingin favourofitsstudents
Tomakethisprogramwork,consistentfundingisessential Thisfundingis currentlyinsufficientandstudentsmayhavetogohungryordropoutof theirdegreeentirelyasaresult
TogatusreachedouttoJamesBrann,theProVice-ChancellorofStudentEquity &Successabout thefundingofTUSAFoodHubs,andwhatelsetheuniversity hasbeendoingtoensurethatstudentshavesupportduringthesetimes
Heacknowledgedthecost-of-livingincreases,andthatfoodinsecuritywasa relevantproblemwithintheuniversity Onethingtheuniversityhasdoneis establishthe‘Healthy,SustainableandEquitableFoodStrategicPlan’which included “[ ] partnering with TUSA on Food Hubs, supporting food redistribution through organisations like Loaves & Fishes Tasmania, expanding community gardens and edible campuses delivering cooking and food literacy programs, improving the affordability and sustainability of food available on campus and supporting initiatives such as Breakfast Clubs and community meals in our Residential Colleges ” Theinitiativeshavebeengenuinelyhelpful, havecontribributedtorelievingcost-oflivingpressuresonstudents,andhelped studentsdevelopcookingandgardeningskills
ProVice-ChancellorBranngoesontosaythat: “The Food Hub program is a fantastic TUSA initiative The University was pleased to provide close to $400,000 of in-kind support in 2023 when TUSA started the first hub in The Ref at Sandy Bay and to directly support the program through a staff giving initiative of close to $200 000 Recently, we have encouraged TUSA to secure Deductible Gift Recipient status from the Australian Taxation Office, which would create new opportunities to raise funds for the Food Hub program ”
The‘Healthy,SustainableandEquitableFoodStrategicPlan’doesfeatureTUSA FoodHubsasapartofitsresponse,yetitstilllackstheguaranteedrecurrent fundingneededtoallowthisplantoflourish In-kindassistance,whilecrucial togetTUSAFoodHubofftheground,doesnotcurrentlygivethefinancial certaintyneededtokeeptheprogramoperatingatitsfullpotential
ThereisnodebateonwhetherUTASsupportstheFoodHub,astheUniversity hassaidrepeatedlythattheydoandhaveprovidedfacilitiesandinitialsupport fortheprogram Thequestionnowiswhethertheuniversitywillbackthis supportwithongoingfinancialinvestment UTAShassaidtheyareveryseriousa
boutimprovingaccess,participationandstudentsuccess Auniversitylikethatshouldbewilling toassistinfundingaprogramthathelpsstudentsstayenrolled,healthyandfed
WhileTUSAsecuringDeductibleGiftRecipientstatusfromtheAustralianTaxation Officewould changehowpeoplecandonatetothem,itdoesnotanswerthequestionofwhyUTAScan’t providecontinuous,ongoingfunding TUSAisalargeorganisationthatdoessomanythings;it wouldbeverydifficulttojustifyDeductibleGiftRecipientstatus WhileUTASusesTUSAFood Bankstopromotetheuniversity,italsonolongerfundstheprogramnowthatitissuccessful andmorenecessarythanever
In2026fromJanuary–June,therehavealreadybeen5,849recordedvisitstotheTUSAFood Hubsacrossfivedifferentcampuses(HobartCity,SandyBay,Rozelle,LauncestonandCradle Coast) Thisnumberisa75%increaseonthesameperiodin2025 The2025figuresarealso 40%higherthanthefiguresfrom2024,showinganotableincreaseinpeopleaccessingthese services KimWhitesaysthatJuly–AugustisthebusiestperiodforTUSAFoodHub,with numberssettoclimb,makingthe2026calendaryearthemosttheFoodHubhaseverbeenvisited TheamountofstudentsaccessingTUSAFoodHubhasbeenincreasingannually,butthe fundinghasnotbeenkeepingup
TUSAisleadingthewaynationallyininnovativemodelstosupportthefinancialsustainabilityof foodreliefforstudentsthroughtheirfreeandtieredpricingstructurefortheFoodHub,andthe socialenterprisecafeGroundedinHobart However,ifthefundingdoesn’tcontinue,FoodHub willstruggletoexpandandmeetrisingdemandforreliefacrossallcampuses Peoplealready can’tmakeittotheFoodHubduetothetimesofdaytheyarecurrentlyavailable;thiswillnot changeiftheprogramisnotallowedtoexpand AsessentialsupportsystemsliketheFoodHub faceincreasingstrain,thecostoflivingbecomesaneverhigherbarriertohighereducation,failing moreandmorestudentsuntilonlytheelitewillbeabletoaffordtostudy,andthatisalossforus all
Howmanypeoplehavebeenhistoricallybarredfromeducationduetotheirfinancialsituation? Howmanyaregoingtocontinuetobebarredfromfurtheringtheireducationascostoflivingrises andtheuniversityisn’ttakingreasonablestepstoensurestudentscanmakeitthroughto graduation?TUSAFoodHubisaninvaluableservicethatmusthavereliable,long-term fundingsothatstudentscaneat,anditseemsunfairthatUTASgetsthebenefitsof advertisingtheTUSAFoodHubwhilenotgivingmoneytoensureitcanstayopenand operational.

Ifthathappens,Imayhavenochoicebut towithdrawfrommystudiesandmove backinterstate Thethoughtisdevastating I haveworkedincrediblyhardtoearna7.0 GPA,andIgenuinelylovebothmycourse andTasmania Ihaveneverhadlecturers whoareassupportive,passionate,and investedintheirstudentsasthoseIhave here.StudyinginTasmaniahasgivenme opportunitiesIneverimaginedandIam deeplycommittedtomakingthemostof them
“My degree would be completely put on hold if I didn’t have affordable accomodation
Increasing by 9% or 20% or even 1% just isn’t an option, and I know it isn’t an option for a lot of people either
Itwouldbeheartbreakingtolosemy education,notbecauseofmyacademic abilityorcommitment,butsimply becauseIcannolongeraffordtoremain enrolled.Ihavealwaysbelievedin Australia’spromiseofafairgo-thatifyou workhardandmakethemostofthe opportunitiesavailabletoyou,youshould havethechancetosucceed Iamdoing everythingIcan,andIonlyhopeIcan continuemyeducationwithoutfinancial hardshipforcingmetoleave
My parents are subsidizing me at the moment, they’re already working at full capacity, and my mum has been sick on and off her whole life.. And I can’t be the reason she gets sick again, because of financial reasons ”
Maddy, a fifth year law student when asked “What does a rent increase mean to you”
“I live at the Sandy Bay accommodation and it can be difficult to budget with the price of the accommodation, food and petrol Fortunately I am a frugal person so I have been able to get by, but if I really want to go out and have some fun, I need to plan far ahead.”
-Connaugh
-AnonymousfirstyearstudentatUTAS
“IliveattheHobartApartments(UTASstudent accommodation)andcanbarelyaffordrentasis. I'mlivingpaycheck-to-paycheckoffCentrelink andcanbarelymanagegroceries.Ifmyrentgoes up,Idon'teat.”
-IsaacMatthews
For James, the 11% rent increase between 2025 and 2026, means that he’s had to access his savings and reach out for help from his parents, which is not a sustainable option On top of this, the scholarships he received were only for his first year His mum is disabled and on the NDIS, and his dad is her full time carer Income is limited and they therefore don’t have the ability to significantly fund James’ uni life or essentials away from home
“I still struggle to eat, so I go through my savings ”
For James, a rent increase is simply not an option He’s currently looking at sharehouses outside of student accommodation If he can’t find a sharehouse, he’s moving back home with his parents. If he moves back, he won’t be able to finish his degree. He would have to defer, save up, and then restart
Read James’ full story on the Togatus website and social media
“IreceiveYouthAllowancebutIalsorecentlygotajobinHobart.This isstillnotenoughtosupportmeifrentpricesgoup.Thereisvirtually nocasualworkthatissustainableinthecityareaandIcan'taffordtobe part-timewhileIstudy.”
-Anonymous UTAS student

This is my first year in accommodation, and it has been more expensive than I thought. I live in UTAS Hobart Apartments I have had to ask my parents for financial assistance. I cannot go out much anymore (or at all really).
-2 year BA student ND
“DearVice-ChancellorRufus:Do youunderstandhowdifficultitis tobeauniversitystudentinthis economy?Ifso,pleasehelpus out”
Sociology student from the North West
“Most of my students work part time or even full time. This results in a less engaged and less engaging learning environment.
As a teacher, I have to make things simpler and easier to digest as students are not taking the time to do the readings. Issues with housing, food and other precarity means that students do not always have the bandwidth to engage with their studies and this only increases around periods of assessment, making my job harder.”
-UTAS Lecturer and NTEU member
“Mystudyoftengetsputontheback burnerduetohavingtoworkto afforduniversity,andbecauseofthis I’moftenstudyingreallylateinto thenight.”
Sociology student from the North West
“I live in the Hobart Apartments, it is my first year living in the Apartments. I love the UniHopper and how close they are to everything but I have found that I am cutting into savings, not eating out, and cutting back on nonessential expenses to support myself and the growing rent prices.”
-Anonymous UTAS student
“Dear Vice-Chancellor Rufus: There are a lot of students who are constantly worried about the cost of living–to the point where it’s impacting their study and motivation–especially when they can’t afford to rent and travel to campus on top of that.”
Navaeh, from the North West
“I have to work full time while studying to cover my expenses. It does not leave me much time for myself which impacts my mental and physical well being as I often only have one proper meal a week, which is causing me to have increased anxiety.”
-Anonymous UTAS student
“Icannotgooutandsocialise,and soItypicallyjuststayhomealone”
-2nd yr BA student

Ineka Leffler
ForJames,anotherstudentinaccommodation,an increaseinrentmeansmovingout He’sstrugglingasit is
“Icouldnotaffordit Icouldn’ttakeanymore moneyfrommyparents.”
JamesisonthefullYouthAllowanceandhashadtocut throughhissavingsandreceivemoneyfromhismum, whosuffersfromMultipleSclerosisandisontheNDIS, andhisdadwhoisherfulltimecarer Hedoesn’twant toaskformoney,buthehastotosurvive
Ifhecan’tfindasharehouse,he’smovingbackhome Not being in Hobart means not finishing his degree, because it’s not available online He’dhavetodefer, work,andsaveuptotryagain
Toreadtheirfullstories,seePage6
That’spotentially$390aweekfor rentinHobart.
IaskedMaddy,acurrentstudentlivinginaccommodation, whatarentincreasemeansforher:
“Ohthat100%meansthatI’msellingakidney.”
“Increasingby9%or20%orevenjust1%justisn’treally anoptionandIknowit’snotanoptionforalotofpeople either”
Whetherornotsuchhighrentsarearesultofthe University’sagreementwithinvestorsisunknown On onehand,rentsarerisingacrossthecountryasaresult ofinflationanddemand,andmanyotherfactors
However,anargumentcanbemadethat because investors are receiving a portion of the accommodation revenue stream, theuniversityisnowinapositiontoto honourprofit,overacomittmenttostudents

AmandaCastraysaid“thecosttobuildnew accommodationisextremelyhighandtheUniversity doesnothavetheavailablecapitalfundingrequired”
Thissuggeststheneedtoworkwithinvestorsandsource othermeansofcapital
Whichisfair Butwhatconcernsmeisthetimingofit all
LookingatthetimelineaccordingtotheUTASwebsite, between2013and2018,theuniversitycontinuedto “enhanceitspresenceintheHobartCBD”withthe developmentofMenziesandtheHedberg By2017 accommodationwasreadyforstudentstomoveinto
Councilminutesfrom2019,suggestthatthe“citycentric[university]modelbegan whentheUniversity startedtorelocatefacilitiesintotheHobartCBD” So, it seems as though the university was under pressure to just keep building and progressing the city move, perhaps even putting all their eggs in one basket, before they realised they could.
Thereisinherentlymorecomplexityinvolvedin buildinginthecitycomparedtoonlandthatalready exists,andwasalreadyownedbytheuniversity
Thequestionisraised-didtheyhavetheabilitytodoit all,withoutnegativelyimpactingstudents?Why couldn’ttheuniversityhaveusedthelandinSandyBay tocreatemoreaffordableandaccessibleaccommodation forstudents,beforegoingtoinvestorsandmovinginto theCity?
AreUTAS’handtiedwithinvestors,andare studentsnowpayingthepriceforpoorly thoughtoutconceptsandideasforamoveinto thecity?
**Accordingtothe2021AHURIreport: ‘IndigenoushousingsupportinAustralia:thelayof theland’
~YouthAllowanceforasingle personlivingawayfromhome


While studying in the NorthWest of Tasmania should be a positive experience, it would appear the University of Tasmania is trying its hardest to make it the opposite.
Studentsfromdifferentareasofstudy,includingPharmacy, Sociology/Teaching,andEnglish,allroutinelyreport runningintoroadblocksintheirstudiesthatcouldbe easilyresolvedbymovingtoHobart But,foramultitude ofreasons,rangingfrommoneytopersonalresponsibilities, relocatingissimplynotinthecardsformoststudents Wheredoesthatleavethem?
Imyselfamafirst-yearEnglishstudent,studyingremotely fromSmithton StudyingfromhomeismoredifficultthanI expected WhileIlovemyhome,myroom,mybed,therein liestheproblem:separatinghomelifefromunilifeis incrediblychallenging Despitedoingmyresearchonways toimproveproductivity,Ineedadedicatedspacetostudy And,whileSmithtonhasaStudyCentre,itlacksthepeerprovidedmotivationIneedtoputmyheaddownandapply myself
Studyingremotelyhasimpactedmysociallife,too;Ifeel incrediblyisolated Ihavenofriendsenrolledinthesame degreeasme,meaningIhavenoonetosoundideasoffof formyassignments,orevensomeonetoventtoabouta sharedreading WhileIdohaveclosefriendshipswith peopleenrolledinotherdegrees,itishardtosympathise whenyoudon’tfullyunderstandthecoursematerial Idesperatelywanttoattenduniversityinpersontomake

newconnectionsandimprovemystudies However,none ofmyunitsareofferedinBurnieorevenLaunceston A lotofthedisciplineelectiveunitsIwouldliketotakeare notofferedonline Thishasmadeselectingunitsincredibly frustrating,asalmostnoneoftheotheroptionsinterestme, orareoutofmybudget Ihavehadtospendatotalof $1,184dollarsonunitsthisyearthatarenotrelevantto myinterestsormyfuturecareer,wastingbothmineand theunitstaff'stime
Thismeansthat,nextyear,Iwillbeaimingtorelocateto Hobart

Iwillbespendingaminimumof17,900dollarstorenta roomintheUTASHobartApartmentsbuilding,around 6,250dollarsongroceries,androughly400dollarsextraon petrolfortripshome Thiscomestoatotalof$24,550for oneyear IfIstayinHobartformythirdyearof university,thetotalwillbenear50,000dollars Thatis enoughforabrandnew,2026modelcar,withenough changeleftovertobuyfluffydicefortherearviewmirror
IfmyunitswereofferedinBurnie,Iwouldsave$8,650 onaccommodationalone.
DespitetheBurnieaccommodationhavinglargerrooms, containingqueen-sizedbeds,andbeingwithinwalking distancetotheCBD(threeminutes)andtheuniversity(less thanoneminute),UTASchargesstudents$8,650lesstolive inCradleCoastthanHobartfortheacademicyear
Additionally,inmyopinion,UTAShavebeenextremely secretivewiththeiraccommodationphotos Thereare one atbesttwo imagesoftheHobartApartments roomsonline Andthesamegoesforalmosteveryother accommodationbuildingunderUTAS Icannotspenda totaloftwelvehoursdrivingtoandfromHobartforan accommodationtour,whenthatcouldbeachievedwithan extrathreephotographspostedontheirwebsite
Ebony Robson-Wells
Movingsixhoursawayfrommyentiresupportsystem myparents,doctor,hairdresser,therapist,friends isa gargantuanaskfromtheUniversity Iaskthatthe Universityconsidermakingatleastcoremajorunits moreaccessibletothosenotundertakingtheirstudiesin Hobart PeoplefromtheNorth-Westdoexist,andweare struggling Puttinginanefforttomakeallcoreunits availableevenfromLauncestonwouldbeabighelp Launcestoncanbeanoccasionalthere-and-backtripifyou areutterlydesperate,whileHobartisatleastaone-night stay
“Dear Vice-Chancellor Rufus: There are students in the North West of Tasmania in all different areas of study who feel incredibly neglected and disconnected. This is your responsibility to fix. This is your job. Do it.”
For this article, Ebony interviewed two students about their experiences with cost of living while living in the North-West, their stories are referenced in the ‘Student Stories’ section of the magazine

Meet James:
Meet Maddy:
Meet Alps:

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