Submission to the NDIS Review
As part of Consumer Action’s NDIS project, we prioritise data collection and analysis for clients calling our advice lines with NDIS related matters. Concerningly, our casework reveals that NDIS parti...
Consumer Action board announces CEO departure
The board of Consumer Action Law Centre has announced that its CEO, Gerard Brody, will step down from the role after more than 11 years with the Centre. The board is pleased that Mr Brody will continu...
Our Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23
Consumer Action has revealed its Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23 with a refreshed focus on making the marketplace for consumers fairer. Director of Policy and Campaigns Tania Clarke said...
Taxi Non-Cash Payment Surcharge Review 2022
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Essential Services Commission in relation to its Taxi Non-Cash Payment Surcharge Review 2022. The submission opposes the proposed methodology outlined i...
Evaluation of Consumer Action’s Worker Advice Service
The Worker Advice Service plays a central role in Consumer Action’s theory of change. The service aims to provide practical legal advice to Victorian community workers so that they in turn can provide...
Presentation to Parliamentary inquiry on improving corporate engagement with First Nations consumers
Consumer Action's Aboriginal Policy Officer Samantha Rudolph, and Director of Policy and Campaigns Katherine Temple spoke today at a Parliamentary Inquiry looking into ways of improving corporate enga...
Our Impact 2020-21: Improving laws, fighting shonky businesses, helping people
Today we are delighted to publish our Impact Report 2020-21 which highlights Consumer Action’s achievements over the past year. Despite the challenges of another year of working much of it from hom...
Supporting South Australian Council of Social Service’s submission to the Remote Area Energy Supply Scheme Issues Paper
Samantha Rudolph is a Wurundjeri woman, and the Aboriginal Policy Officer with Consumer Action Law Centre. She works as part of an integrated practice project addressing the systemic causes of consume...
Consumer leases must not be excluded from Government’s design and distribution obligations regime
Consumer Action has today written to the Treasury noting that the Government intends to make amendments to the design and distribution obligations (DDO) regime. The letter strongly urges the Govern...
Fairness, respect, reflection, courage: Our strategic plan 2021-25
Our strategic plan 2021-2025 is a snapshot of our priorities and ambitions for the next four years. We use our skills and knowledge in the law, financial counselling, policy, campaigning, and advoc...
Saving Responsible Lending: Senate Committee opening statement
On 19 February 2021, Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre and Fiona Guthrie, CEO, Financial Counselling Australia spoke at the Senate Economics Legislation Committee hearing on the Nation...
Scam alert: Be aware
We’ve had reports of scammers falsely using Consumer Action’s name to obtain money and banking details from their victims. Consumer Action is not responsible for these calls. We will never ask for mon...
Revamped Koorihelp website and Facebook page launched for community
Consumer Action has launched a revamped Koorihelp website and new Facebook page focused on providing the latest information about pressing consumer issues and services to Victoria’s Aboriginal and Tor...
Taking advantage: The negative impact of funeral insurance in Aboriginal Communities
This opinion piece is by Kaylee Anderson and Mark Holden and it is based on an article – ‘The impact of funeral insurance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ – which first appeared...
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,...
We’re at crisis point. Government needs to shut down predatory lenders.
Every week, community and consumer advocates speak to people trapped in payday lending debt. For years, we’ve been campaigning to stop the debt trap and harm caused by payday lenders. We’ve talked to...
Consumer Action Law Centre’s work during COVID-19 health crisis
The team at Consumer Action Law Centre are continuing to support people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage through COVID-19. Our free Consumer Legal Advice Service continues to operate,...
Legal Assistance To Victims Of Financial Services Wrongdoing Needs Boost
Collectively, our services assist thousands of Australians subjected to poor bank and insurer behaviour every year. However we are only ever able to serve a fraction of the demand. Free and independen...
What type of financial relief is available for people directly affected by the Victorian bushfires?
Here is a list of relief packages available to help relieve the financial stress associated with paying: Credit card bills Loan repayments Energy bills Water bills Landline and mobile...
What type of financial support is available for people who have lost homes or income due to the Victorian bushfires?
Here is a list of financial payments available to support people who have lost their homes or their income as a direct result of the 2019-2020 bushfires in Victoria. This is not an exhaustive list...
Bushfire 2019-20 Support
As has been widely reported, we have never seen a bushfire crisis of this magnitude in Australia. Here is a list of ways you can give and receive support during this time. Victorian Legal A...
FinTech and RegTech should support positive outcomes for consumers
While we support the development of innovative services and business models that genuinely meet the needs of consumers much of the existing legal and regulatory frameworks are no longer fit for purpos...
Fairness must drive consumer policy in 2020
by Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre Fairness will be the big issue in consumer policy during 2020. It is being talked about like never before. This follows on from Kenneth...
A dynamic year for consumer advocacy
There’s no denying that 2019 was a dynamic one for Consumer Action, bringing a wave of change for consumer rights in Australia. You can find out more about what we’ve been up to this past year in our...
Holiday Hours 2019-20
Consumer Action Law Centre and our branch of the National Debt Helpline will be working on limited operating hours during the December-January holiday period. Date Consumer Action Legal Help...
Victorian Government’s class action changes promote corporate accountability
The Victorian Government’s proposed changes to class action rules should enable greater access to justice and promote corporate accountability, according to Consumer Action Law Centre. The Justice...
Alert: Membo Finance Pty Ltd trading as Clear Loans
We have been contacted by a number of financial counsellors, community workers and the general public with serious concerns about ClearLoans. On its website ClearLoans advertises itself as “guarantor...
Local councils must take financial hardship into account when collecting rates
Financial counsellors assist clients who are experiencing financial hardship. Most of WEstjustice’s and Consumer Action’s clients are grappling with debts and meeting the high cost of living in Melbou...
ASIC Enforcement Review
In our joint response to exposure draft legislation implementing certain aspects of the ASIC Enforcement Review Taskforce (ERT) Final Report, Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financi...
Integrated Practice Project: 2019 Mid-Year Report
Recognising that we need to take a coordinated approach to addressing the civil needs of Victorian Aboriginal communities, Consumer Action Law Centre and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service teamed...
Unconscionable conduct: Divided High Court confirms need for change to the law
In its response to the High Court finding that a ‘book-up’ credit scheme operated in the remote Aboriginal community of Mintabie in the South Australian APY lands was not unconscionable, Consumer Acti...
National Consumer Congress Keynote Address: How to deliver better outcomes for vulnerable consumers in regulated markets
The following keynote speech was delivered by Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody at the National Consumer Congress 2019 on Thursday, 14 March 2019 in Melbourne. Today I want to ask whether w...
Senate Inquiry report recommends vital safeguards for Australian families struggling with debt
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) says that, if implemented, the recommendations in the final report from the Senate Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at ri...
Prohibition will strengthen the consumer law and allow regulators to deal with practices that cause consumer detriment
Consumer Action has made a submission to the ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry Preliminary Report. The submission focuses primarily on the proposal to develop a general prohibition against unfair practic...
Submission: Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial hardship
This Senate Inquiry is a crucial opportunity to close the regulatory loopholes exploited by fringe lenders and ‘debt help’ companies. These companies can entrench disadvantage for some of the most vul...
Submission: Reforms to strengthen penalties for corporate and financial sector misconduct – Draft Legislation
This submission supports the proposed increases to maximum criminal and civil penalties across a number of provisions, the expansion in provisions subject to penalties, and the power to obtain disgorg...
National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper – Commonwealth Elements
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Guarantee (Guarantee) Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper for Commonwealth Elements (Co...
Letter to the editor: Credit reporting not great for the public
The fintech industry's claims that delays in putting more customer data into credit reports will entrench the big four's market dominance need scrutinising ('Labor credit report delay will entrench ba...
Submission: Options for greater involvement by private sector life insurers in worker rehabilitation
This joint submission of CHOICE, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Law Centre responds to the insurance industry proposal for greater involvement by life insurers in worker rehabilitat...
Victorians need better access to quick, fair and free justice in 2018
Consumer Action has launched our latest election platform for this November's Victorian State Election which calls on our state politicians to make access to justice fairer and more affordable for all...
New report uncovers murky world of online marketing
Online marketing, lead generation and cold-calling have been scrutinised in a new report from Consumer Action Law Centre. The report, entitled Dirty Leads: consumer protection in online lead gener...
The psychology of Christmas shopping: how marketers nudge you to buy
Paul Harrison, Deakin University Many people see marketing as a form of manipulation, particularly around Christmas and the other retail bonanzas: Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ Day and Fath...
Consumer Action Strategic Plan 2017-2021
We use our skills in the law, financial counselling, policy and campaigning to make consumer markets fair. We do this by: Assisting and empowering people – by advising them about their rights, connec...
Protected: The Do Not Knock movement grows
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Rural and Regional Outreach Project – Evaluation Report
Consumer Action has an ongoing commitment to strategic outreach focusing on capacity building for community workers, who play a vital role in connecting vulnerable clients with legal assistance. Throu...
Community Legal Centres face funding cut from July 1
UPDATE: The Federal Government has announced a reversal of the planned cuts. However, Community Legal Centres are still facing a surge in community need that the Productivity Commission estimates requ...
Review of the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 – Position Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Storage Industry Position Paper. In our view, the proposed changes to the Warehousemen’s Liens Act 1958 (...