Submission: Facilitating access to consumers’ energy data: Houston Kemp Draft Report

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the draft report prepared by Houston Kemp, Facilitating access to consumer electricity data (Houston Kemp Report)....

March 26, 2018

Royal Commission – Sales culture and short-term profit motivation is the problem

Yesterday, irresponsible car lending was the focus of the Banking Royal Commission, with Nalini Thiruvangadam taking the stand to share her experience of a car loan from Bank of Melbourne (part of the...

March 22, 2018

Benefit Change Notice Guidelines Issues Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) benefit change notice guidelines issues paper. As stated in previous sub...

March 21, 2018

Consumer Action submission to Draft Retail Pricing Information Guidelines

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Draft AER Retail Pricing Information Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). Consumer Action has appreciated the oppo...

March 14, 2018

Submission: 2018 Water Price Review early draft decisions

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) early draft decisions in the 2018 Water Price Review for East Gippsland...

March 14, 2018

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...

February 27, 2018

Submission: Consumer Action submission to National Energy Guarantee Draft Design Consultation Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board’s (ESB) Draft Design Consultation Paper: National Energy Guarantee (Consultation Paper)....

February 19, 2018

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...

February 13, 2018

Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 2

Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 2 of its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the experienc...

February 5, 2018

ESC draft audit guideline for energy businesses

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft audit guideline for energy businesses (the draft guideline)....

January 31, 2018

ESC draft charter of consultation and regulatory practice

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Draft Charter of Consultation and Regulatory Practice. It is im...

January 29, 2018

Minimum electricity feed-in tariffs to apply from 1 July 2018

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission in response to the ESC’s draft decision on the minimum Feed-In Tariff (FiT) to apply for the 2018-19 financial year. We supp...

January 26, 2018

Submission: ESC draft guidance for Western Water’s 2018 price review

Pricing regulation of essential services is critical to ensure that water service provision is in the best interests of consumers. The alignment of pricing reviews for all 17 Victorian water businesse...

January 16, 2018

2018-19 Pre-Budget Submission

Every year, The Australian Treasury calls for ideas to feed into the budget process. We have focussed our submission for the 2018/19 Budget on three areas where budget action could make an immediate a...

December 15, 2017

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...

December 7, 2017

Fixed benefit periods notification obligations for energy retailers – Draft Decision

Consumer Action appreciates the Essential Services Commission working towards better outcomes from the energy market with a focus on the long-term interests of Victorians. We support the proposed chan...

December 5, 2017

Consumer Action response to the release of the Essential Services Commission Victorian Energy Market Report 2016-17

Too many people are doing it tough as energy retailers fail to give their customers a fair price and a fair go at staying connected to essential services. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) toda...

November 22, 2017

Submission in response to the ACCC retail electricity pricing inquiry preliminary report

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on ACCC Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry: Preliminary Report (Preliminary Report) for this inquiry. The ACCC has undertaken a welcome and extensiv...

November 21, 2017

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Consultation Paper 294: The sale of add-on insurance and warranties through caryard intermediaries (CP 294). Read the full submission here [PDF]...

November 21, 2017

Knock it off

Download the full report here [PDF]   https://youtu.be/j43zE3HBoFk...

November 20, 2017

Initial feedback: Essential Services Commission 2018 Water Price Review

This feedback was provided to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) which is currently reviewing the prices that 17 Victorian water businesses propose to charge from 1 July 2018. Access to water is...

November 20, 2017

Submission in response to the Draft Guidance Note – Payment difficulty and disconnection

We acknowledge the significant work the Essential Services Commission has undertaken in drafting a comprehensive Guidance Note focused on customer outcomes. With expansion and redrafting in some areas...

November 16, 2017

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...

November 15, 2017

Joint submission: Options to reform the sale of add-on insurance and warranties in car yards

Our organisations strongly support ASIC’s proposal to mandate a delayed sales model for add-on insurance and warranties sold through car yards, and to improve supervision of these sales. We have held...

November 10, 2017

Submission in response to Customer Price Information – Issues Paper

Consumer Action is happy to contribute to the development of materials to improve consumer engagement in the energy market—with the important caveat that we do not believe consumer engagement initiati...

November 3, 2017

Supplementary Submission: ACCC New Car Inquiry

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to make a supplementary submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) New Car Retailing Inquiry. Our sup...

October 23, 2017

Submission: National Water Reform

Water is arguably the most essential of services: without it we would not live. Most of us access water every day for drinking, cooking, washing/hygiene and efficient removal of waste. For some though...

October 19, 2017

Turnbull’s energy policy won’t stop energy retailers from price gouging, but a Basic Service Offer will

Gerard Brody, CEO - Consumer Action Law Centre This week it was reported that energy bills for an average Victorian household have skyrocketed to a shocking $3,655 a year. The ACCC confirms tha...

October 17, 2017

Submission in response to National Energy Retail Amendment (Notification of the end of a fixed benefit period) Rule 2017 Rule Change Consultation Paper

The strategies involved in the proposed Rule Change, and in previous work outlined in the Commission’s consultation paper, reflect policymakers’ continued pursuit of trying to improve the effectivenes...

October 9, 2017

Submission: New Car Retailing Industry ACCC Draft Report

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) new car retail industry market study draft report (the Draf...

September 18, 2017

Proposed changes to TIO Terms of Reference

ACCAN and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the consultation on proposed changes to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) terms of reference. We are pleased that the TIO...

September 11, 2017

Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act). Consumer Action ha...

September 1, 2017

Proposal to re-regulate energy prices confirms Victorians have been gouged for too long

Victorian energy retailers would be required to provide a new 'basic service offer' at a price that will be regulated by the Essential Services Commission, if a proposal by the independent review led...

August 13, 2017

Prime Minister, you’ve talked to the energy retailers, now talk to those that pay the bill

Gerard Brody, Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull summoned the chief executives of the nation’s largest power companies to Canberra today, insisting they provide reli...

August 9, 2017

Comment on ASIC proposed ban on flex-commissions

Thank you for the opportunity to make additional comments on the proposed ASIC Credit (Flexible Credit Cost Arrangements) Instrument banning flex-commissions. Consumer Action supports this proposal. I...

August 8, 2017

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...

August 2, 2017

Submission to ACCC inquiry into retail electricity supply and pricing Issues Paper

Electricity has traditionally been a regulated essential service that occupied a stable portion of Australian consumers' living expenses. Until relatively recently, they have not had to exert time or...

July 3, 2017

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...

June 26, 2017

Consumer Action supports removal of Limited Merits Review

In response to the Federal Government’s announcement of several reforms in the energy market on 20 June 2017: Announcement that the Federal Government will remove Limited Merits Review (LMR) by leg...

June 22, 2017

Submission: AEMC Governance Amendment Bill 2017

Consumer Action was one of a number consumer advocacy groups that made a joint submission to the Review of Governance Arrangements for Australian Energy Markets recommending the Energy Council underta...

June 20, 2017

Submission: ESC’s Payment Difficulty Framework Draft Decision

Consumer Action and the Financial and Consumer Rights Council welcome the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services ESC Victoria’s (ESC) new draft decision for its Payment Difficulties Framewor...

June 19, 2017

Consumer Action responds to Finkel

In response to the release of the Independent Review of the Future Security of the National Energy Market (the Finkel Blueprint), Consumer Action Law Centre makes the following comments: Recommenda...

June 10, 2017

Submission on AEMC’s rule change process guidance

Our analysis of the problems faced as a consumer group seeking to change the NERR, and our recommendations to make the process more transparent and less onerous for proponents, are extensively detaile...

June 2, 2017

Refunds for Motor Finance Wizard customers

Consumer Action Law Centre has applauded the corporate regulator for securing an enforceable undertaking (EU) against second-hand car financier Motor Finance Wizard (MFW). The EU will see the problem...

May 26, 2017

AEMC review of regulatory arrangements for embedded networks

SACOSS and the signatories consider that the existing framework has provided a high degree of flexibility and competition in products and services for embedded networks which has led to some valuable...

May 22, 2017

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]....

May 18, 2017

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...

May 2, 2017

Submission to the inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy’s inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid. A...

April 27, 2017

We need a ban on energy bill fines that really works: Gerard Brody

UNDERSTANDING how power prices work isn’t an easy task. The Prime Minister recently tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to look into power prices, but there’s one problem for Vic...

April 5, 2017

Comment on ASIC CP 279: Flex commission arrangements in the car finance industry

Consumer Action supports ASIC’s proposal to prohibit flex-commissions in the sale of car loans through a legislative instrument. There are clearly significant variations in the interest rates charged...

March 31, 2017