"Please think about students on campuses other than Parkville" - Anonymous Student at The University of Melbourne (A Campus in Crisis, 2024)

In 2024, UMSU released A Campus in Crisis, a report detailing how the cost of living crisis impacted students at UniMelb. In this report, we explicitly noted the lack of subsidised food offerings at our university. In 2025, the University opened the Campus Canteen at Parkville serving $5 meals to students for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, it was noted that there was still a lack of support for students at campuses other than Parkville.

We listened to you, and advocated on your behalf. UMSU is excited to announce that the Campus Canteen will open a premises at the Southbank Campus for Semester Two, 2025. This represents a great step forward for improving student welfare beyond Parkville.