The Griffith University Student Representative Council (SRC) has passed a motion to investigate the cost of providing free period care products in every bathroom across campuses, at their board meeting in March.

Currently, there are period products available in most bathrooms at Griffith, however there are some areas where there are none available.

The motion that was passed reads: “The SRC petitions staff to produce the costings to provide period products to all bathrooms on all campuses.”

This motion would apply to the campuses for which the SRC has jurisdiction, including the Nathan, South Bank and Logan campuses.

While the motion passed is only to produce the costings, there is an understanding within the SRC board that when these costings are finalised,the initiative will be implemented as soon as possible.

The motion was put forward by Olivia Walden, a member of the Revitalise Griffith group, who currently hold five out of the nine elected seats on the SRC board.

Ms Walden said that period care products should be available everywhere at Griffith University.

“I just think that period care should be universally available on all Griffith Uni campuses,” she said.

Ms Walden said that it was a personal experience at the Nathan Campus gym which brought this to her attention.

“I have been adversely affected by the lack of period care in the bathrooms close to the Nathan gym, and I’ve had to turn myself away from having a workout because of a lack of period supplies.

“No woman should ever have to give up a workout and deny herself the right to fitness if purely because there’s no period care available to her.”

Ms Walden said that there is work being done already to fix the lack of products available at the Nathan gym.

“That one is being installed now and I’m hoping to be updated within the next few weeks to hear that it’s now there.”

SRC Chairperson Spencer Holzheimer said that it was positive to see the SRC board work collaboratively on this motion, which was passed unanimously.

“The entire board came together and it was a very, very short discussion and I’m very, very happy with the way that that went,” he said.

“It’s our way of showing to the community that we are here and our goal is to deliver value through the people we represent.”

He said that the SRC is currently investigating how this would be implemented, with the hope that the initiative would be paid for by the University.

However, Mr Holzheimer has conceded that, at least in the short term, this will be funded by the SRC.

“[There was discussion] around whether there would be an appetite with the university to in some way pay for those products.

“But we ended up reaching the conclusion that whether or not they decide to pay for them, it is an initiative that we’re going to go ahead with, because it’s something that community deserves fundamentally.

“From the university’s perspective, the funding of the SRC is based on our SSAF (Student Services and Amenities Fee) allocation.

“They will be saying that it well and truly falls under the category of student services and amenities and that we [the SRC] should therefore be the ones to pay for it.”

An anonymous Nathan student said that while they support the initiative, they are concerned that the incentive will be overused by some members of the community, citing examples of “hoarding” all the free products available.  

“I think that it is a great initiative, I just hope people don’t abuse it like some do at the moment,” they said.

“Sometimes people will just take everything is in a bathroom at once, which is pretty unfair on everyone else who needs these products.”

The motion was passed unanimously by the nine members of the SRC board. 

The board meets next on in late May 2026, where, among other matters, an update on this is expected.

All SRC board meetings are open to the public who are entitled to observe and be given the opportunity to ask questions.

Title photo credit: www.kaboompics.com