Every student knows that surviving a long day of lectures requires more than just caffeine — it takes a decent meal to keep the brain firing on all cylinders. For many UTS students, the UTSSA’s food services, BlueBird Brekkie and Night Owl Noodles, have become essential to that survival. These services are student-run initiatives designed to provide affordable, nutritious meals to help students get through the day. BlueBird Brekkie serves up a hearty breakfast to kick-start the day, while Night Owl Noodles offers a warm, satisfying dinner to keep students going well into the evening. But recently, these services, which should be a reliable part of student life, have been disrupted to the point where they’re starting to feel like an unpredictable gamble. The real issue here is not just the inconvenience; it’s that UTS needs to step up and provide a permanent space for these vital food services.

In 2024 alone, both Bluebird Brekkie and Night Owl Noodles were shut down multiple times due to competing events in the UTS lobby/exhibition space. The reasons for these cancellations? Hardly groundbreaking. Open Day, SXSW, and a few other events that UTS deems more exciting than an affordable breakfast or dinner. Each time, students were left scrambling for a meal, usually settling for overpriced, underwhelming campus food. And how did the university respond to the issue? By proposing a move to the Blue Bird Pantry space in the Building 2 basement. It’s like trying to quench thirst with a teaspoon of water, when what you really need is a full bottle. 

The Blue Bird Pantry space is smaller, less accessible, and can’t handle the sheer volume of students who rely on these services. Blue Bird Brekkie serves 400-500 students every morning, and Night Owl Noodles feeds 600-800 students each night. But the university thinks moving everything to a cramped pantry will work. 

Recognising how unsustainable this situation is, the UTSSA has been actively pushing for long-term reform to secure a dedicated space for student food services. Consultations with UTSSA staff have highlighted the logistical difficulties of running the service under current conditions, from food preparation constraints to the strain on volunteers managing unpredictable shutdowns. In response to repeated cancellations, an official inquiry was launched to understand why the university continues to deprioritise these essential services. 

UTS claimed that food queues and student activity in a large, open space primarily used by staff and the public were causing unnecessary disruptions.

This dismissive attitude only reinforces the need for stronger advocacy. The UTSSA has compiled a report detailing these disruptions, which is now being presented to the Student/Council Liaison Group (SCLG). This report will then be sent to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) Kylie Readman, demanding an official response by the second SCLG meeting or earlier. The fight for food security on campus is gaining momentum, with student representatives calling for transparent commitment from the university to ensure the long-term security of food services, and it’s clear they won’t back down.

When speaking with the student representatives about this issue, it became especially frustrating to consider how easily UTS finds funds for high-profile events or shiny new buildings. The university is never short on cash for image-boosting projects that align with its branding or elevate its status. But when it comes to something as fundamental as feeding students (which could arguably be seen as something to bolster the university’s image), the financial commitment seems to vanish. The irony is stark. One might even wonder if the university believes its hungry students — the very individuals it is meant to serve — somehow add to its ‘prestige.’

So, what’s the solution? It’s simple: a permanent space for these services that can handle the demand. There’s an abundance of underutilised retail space in Building 1. Space that’s been sitting empty for years, crying out to be repurposed for something useful. 

What could be more useful than providing students with a reliable, easily accessible place to get affordable meals every day? Not only would this ensure the consistency and availability of these essential services, but it would also prevent the constant disruption caused by temporary shutdowns whenever the next big event rolls around. Better infrastructure for food prep, like refrigeration, storage, and handwashing stations, would allow the volunteers to properly manage the services. No more wondering if you’ll be able to get breakfast or dinner today. Just consistency.

This is a tangible, necessary solution that student representatives have repeatedly put forward, yet their calls have unsurprisingly been met with delays and half-measures.

It’s not a radical request. The infrastructure is already in place. The demand is already there. What’s missing is the political will to make it happen. It’s time for UTS to stop treating food services as an afterthought and give them the space they deserve. Students aren’t asking for five-star meals—they just want to know that when they head to the usual spot for breakfast or dinner, it will actually be there.

It’s just basic student care. And it’s high time UTS delivered.