Network Outage Review
As extreme weather events continue to increase, it is imperative that Victorians’ access to essential services is protected and prioritised by Government, regulators and industry. Consumer Action L...
Minimum Standards for Rental Properties and Rooming Houses
Consumer Action Law Centre, with Financial Counselling Victoria, the Federation of Community Legal Centres (FCLC), Anika Legal, Westjustice and Community Information & Support Victoria (CISVic),...
Retirement Villages Amendment Bill 2022 Exposure Draft
Retirement living is an important option for many older Victorians. The proposed Retirement Villages Amendment Act includes some positive measures that will improve consumer protection standards. O...
Victorian Property Market Review
Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Victorian Property Market Review. The review is an important opportunity to improve property market laws to support Victorians to have fairer and easie...
Energy efficiency and targeted rebate plan to help with big energy bills the right approach
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today to help thousands of concession holders manage their energy bills. For many people in our community, home ener...
Inquiry into Victoria’s Response to COVID-19
COVID-19 has deeply affected the Victorian community in unprecedented ways. With a significant number of job losses and most of the population staying at home in compliance with public health orders,...
Australians urged to share their stories about financial hardship during COVID-19
Today, Consumer Action Law Centre has launched an online form to enable people to share their experiences of financial hardship during the Covid-19 emergency. The goal is to help track the severity an...
Keep communities connected, urge more than 40 community organisations across Australia
As more people face the prospect of losing work due to the COVID-19 health crisis, community organisations are calling on banks, telcos, energy retailers, and rental providers to help people stay con...
Lack of minimum efficiency standards put renters at greater risk of energy debts
The financial counsellors working on Consumer Action's National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality...
Enhanced protections and clearer responsibilities will better support retirees
There are many systemic issues exist with retirement housing that adversely affect retirees’ wellbeing in their golden years. These include housing providers using threats of eviction to discourage re...
The mortgage broking industry is long overdue for reform
The mortgage broking industry is long overdue for reform. Landmark inquiries from the Banking Royal Commission and the Productivity Commission, as well as a number of ASIC investigations, have all...
Submission: Retirement Living Revised Code of Conduct
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria, Housing for the Aged Action Group and COTA Victoria welcome the opportunity to comment on the most recent Draft Retirement Li...
Retirement ombudsman: Safe and fair retirement should be bipartisan
Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy MP and Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs Heidi Victoria MP have announced that the Coalition will establish an ombudsman for retirement housing residents if...
An agenda for ageing in Victoria
Currently, there is no plan for the increased longevity and diversity of Victoria’s population. The result is a fragmented approach to policy and programs relating to older people between the ages of...
Victorian State Budget Submission 2018-19
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has made a submission to Victoria's Department of Treasury and Finance during the 2018-19 Pre-Budget period. Consumer Action has focused this submission on...
Submission: Retirement Living Council Retirement Living Code of Conduct
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) and COTA Victoria (COTA Vic) have made a joint submission in re...
Submission – Proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets
Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed amendments to retirement village fact sheets. Consumer Action, RRVV, HAAG and COTA Vic do not oppose the proposed amendments to the f...
Submission: Remake of the Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2008
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), COTA Victoria and Housing for the Aged Action Group welcome the opportunity to make this submission in relation to the remake of the Estate Agents (Profes...
Submission: Internal Dispute Resolution in Retirement Villages
We welcome Consumer Affairs Victoria’s interest in improving internal dispute resolution processes in retirement villages, and believe that the reforms suggested will likely result in some improvement...
Four Corners – ‘Bleed Them Dry Until They Die’
Tonight, Consumer Action features in the ABC TV Four Corners special 'Bleed Them Dry Until They Die' - an important investigation into retirement living in Australia led by Adele Ferguson. Follow our...
Submission: Estate agents and conveyancers options for reform
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Consumer Property Law Review’s Options Paper on estate agents and conveyancers. Read the full submission here [PDF]....
Retirement Villages (Contractual Arrangements) Regulations 2017 – Regulatory Impact Statement submission
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV) write in relatio...
Retirement villages in Australia – Life Matters
When people get older and start thinking about downsizing, retirement villages are an option many consider. However, it may be worth doing some research and assessing all of the associated costs befor...
Residents respond – Retirement Living Inquiry
Victorian retirees have responded to a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry report....
Deferred Management Fees case settled: law reform now desperately needed
“The relief was immense”, a simple enough statement from one of the fourteen residents from Willow Lodge Over 50s Resort (Willow Lodge), but universally felt following the settlement of the long-runni...
Parliamentary Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to contribute to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Retirement Housing, which we believes speaks to a real and urgent need for more effective re...
Eager homebuyers still falling victim to shadowy rent-to-buy deals
Eileen Webb, Curtin University and Allan Fels, University of Melbourne Those looking to get a piece of the Australian dream of buying a home are still falling victim to the shadow property market o...
Parliamentary Inquiry into the Retirement Housing Sector
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Justice Connect (Seniors Law) (Justice Connect) and Residents of Reti...
Residential Tenancies Act review: Issues Paper 3 – Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to comment on Issues Paper 3 - Rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants as part of Consumer Affairs Victoria's (CAV's) review of the...
Vendor terms and rent-to-buy schemes
Vendor terms or 'rent-to-buy' schemes promise to help you buy property when you don’t have the income, savings or credit history to get a regular mortgage. Often there’s a broker or agent who advertis...
Retirement living parliamentary event
Consumer Action hosted a morning tea at Parliament House on 9 October 2015 which brought together over 70 retirement housing residents with their local parliamentarians. It was a hugely successful d...
Housing Decisions of Older Australians
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria (RRVV) and Council on the Ageing Victoria (COTA Vic) welcome the o...
Residential Tenancies Act Review – Consultation Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the consultation paper for the Residential Tenancies Act Review (the Review). Download our full submission here...
Submission: Proposed re-make of Retirement Villages legislation
The Consumer Action Law Centre, COTA Victoria and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria have made a joint submission to the Consumer Affairs Victoria review on the effectiveness of the Retirement...
Media release: Major parties urged to commit to helping vulnerable seniors before election
Overly complex contract terms and unfair fee structures can make the decision to move into retirement accommodation a gamble. Many Victorians move into purpose-built retirement villages or other retir...
Submission: Regulatory impact statement on retirement village contract and disclosure options
Consumer Action has provided comments on the Regulatory Impact Statement for the Retirement Villages Amendment (Records and Notices) Regulations 2013 and the Retirement Villages Amendment (Contractual...
Media release: Warning to consumers who are desperate to buy or sell a home
Consumer Action Law Centre is warning consumers about schemes which link up people who are desperate to sell their homes with people who are looking to buy but are unable to get a loan. 'These types...
Submission: The definition of ‘terms contract’ under the Sale of Land Act 1962
Consumer Action has provided comment on Consumer Affairs Victoria's discussion paper on the definition of 'terms contract' under the Sale of Land Act 1962. We have argued that: the 2008 amendment t...
Media release: Retirement village contracts confusing for consumers, says consumer group
The Consumer Action Law Centre says a case in which it is assisting an elderly retirement village resident with her dispute before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) demonstrates t...