Energy Consumer Reforms Consultation
Consumer Action supports the objectives of the Essential Services Commission (ESC’s) proposed reforms to ensure people experiencing payment difficulty are receiving the best price for energy from thei...
Concerning the ABA’s application to remove conditions from basic bank account conduct
Our response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on this issue is supported by the Financial Rights Legal Centre and CHOICE. We are interested parties in the application by the Au...
AUSTRAC: Guidance on assisting customers who don’t have identification
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: •Consumer Action Law Centre •Financial Counselling Australia •Financial Rights Legal Centre •Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network •Mob Strong Deb...
Submission: Scams Prevention Framework – exposure draft legislation
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Super Consumers Austr...
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...
The Energy Retail Code of Practice review
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) review of the Energy Retail Code of Practice (the Code). In this submission, where relevant, we hav...
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),...
Services Australia: Centrepay Reform Discussion Paper
This submission to Services Australia is prepared by the Consumer Action Law Centre based on our casework experience. The primary issues we identify in our client files for Centrepay customers are:...
Network Outage Review
Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted to make a submission to the Network Outage Review. We were contacted by a small number of consumers impacted by the network outages in February 2024, and som...
Review of the National Energy Customer Framework
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) review of the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF). In this submission, we draw predo...
Independent Review: Initial Consultation Paper, April 2024
Financial Rights Legal Centre has drafted this submission on behalf of the Consumers Federation of Australia. The following organisations have contributed and are signatories to this submission: •...
Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision 2024-25
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Draft Decision of the Victorian Default Offer 2024-25. We welcome the ESC’s draft deci...
Buy now pay later exposure draft materials
Our organisations have long advocated for Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) to be regulated as a credit product under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (NCCPA), and so we welcome the major step...
Consultation: Designated complaints determination
With our undersigned sector colleagues, we affirm our previous support for the designated complaints function, and our previous comments about the design and structure of the legislation in our joint...
ACMA Compliance Priorities 2024 – 2025
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) compliance priorities for the 2024-25 financial year. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer...
Telemarketing and doorknocking ban under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Consumer Action reaffirms our strong support of the implementation of this ban on both telemarketing and door to door sales as an important step in addressing the consumer harm that unsolicited sales...
Fighting SMS Scams – What type of SMS sender ID registry should be introduced in Australia?
The Australian Communications Consumer Network's (ACCAN) submission has been informed by feedback from consumer and community organisations who regularly assist consumers affected by scams and other d...
Inquiry into the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Fair Go for Consumers and Small Business) Bill 2024
We are strongly supportive of a designated complaints function as an important addition to the regulatory landscape in Australia, reflecting the value of intelligence and quality of decision making in...
General Insurance Code Governance Committee 2024-25 monitoring priorities
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre and WEst Justice. Consumer Action and WEstJustice recommend that the Committee consider the following areas for monitoring or compliance w...
Senate Select Committee on supermarket prices
Our submission to the Senate Select Committee on supermarket prices aims to provide insight into the broader context and impacts of rising costs of living for Australians. Rising costs and poor ind...
Response to the Review of Financial Wellbeing and Capability programs
This is our response to the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) review of the Financial Wellbeing and Capability (FWC) programs. This submission responds to select questions throughout the discussion...
Scams – Mandatory Industry Codes Consultation Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network have been conducting regular roundtables with scams victims and consumer organisations, to develop our resp...
ASIC Consultation Paper 373 – Banking Code of Practice
Our submission provides feedback on the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA) updated Banking Code of Practice (Code). This is a joint submission made on behalf of: Consumer Action Law Centre...
Joint Submission: Getting the Victorian Default Offer right
This submission represents the shared view of leading Victorian community sector organisations and energy consumer advocates. Our submission identifies where there remains work to be done, and Victori...
Regulating Digital Asset Platforms: Crypto
Through our frontline services, we see widespread harm in the crypto market, and the urgent need for intervention. In this submission, we are responding to Treasury’s proposal paper Regulating Digi...
Inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims
Consumer Action Law Centre has responded to the Federal Parliament's Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into insurers' responses to the major flood claims arising from 2022’s ‘disaster year’ with...
2024-25 Victorian Default Offer: Request for comment paper
Consumer Action reaffirms the importance of the policy intent underpinning the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) to provide a simple, trusted and reasonably priced electricity option that safeguards consu...
The National Legal Assistance Partnership Review
The community legal sector’s work would not be possible without stable, indexed NLAP funding. This is a critical part of specialist community legal centres’ (CLC) baseline resourcing, now and into the...
Personal insolvency discussion paper 2023
Consumer Action Law Centre provides financial counselling assistance and legal advice to people at all stages of the insolvency process. We regularly speak to people who end up in unnecessary and cost...
AFCA’s responsible lending approach consultation
This submission is made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Consumer Credit Legal Service (CCLS) • Financial Counselling Australia. Supporting and rep...
Response to consultation paper 371 – Product intervention orders in credit
This is a joint submission made on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network, WEstjustice, The Salvat...
Australian Banking Association application for authorisation AA1000645
Consumer Action, Financial Rights and CHOICE are calling on the banking industry to do more to prevent scams, as increasing losses are having a devastating impact on individuals and the Australian eco...
Financial services legislation inquiry – Interim Report C
Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumers' Federation of Australia and Financial Rights Legal Centre have provided feedback on the proposals in the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) Interim Repor...
Banning telemarketing under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We strongly support the Minister’s intention to introduce a ban on telemarketing within the VEU program. We have long advocated for bans on telemarketing (as well as doorknocking) as inherently probl...
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...
AFCA Rules and Operational Guidelines – Proposed Amendments
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the proposed amendments to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s (AFCA) complaint resolution scheme rules (Rules) and Operational Guidelines (Guid...
Feedback on standard draft decisions: 2023 Water Price Review
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the standard draft decisions released by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) as part of the 2023 Water Price Rev...
AFCA’s approach to claims for non-financial loss
Consumer Action is responding to the proposed amendments to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s (AFCA) approach to non-financial loss claims (Amended Approach). We generally support the go...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24 Draft Decision: We need a meaningful reduction to the proposed 31% increase
To date, we believe that the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has been successful in achieving the policy objective of providing consumers unable or unwilling to engage in the market with a simple, trust...
Token crypto mapping consultation paper and the need for adequate protections and safeguards
The crypto marketplace currently poses significant risk to consumers and there is a pressing need for adequate protections and safeguards. Consumer Action applauds the Government for its commitment...
Exposure draft – consumer credit regulations
Consumer Action, and the various organisations from the Stop the Debt Trap Alliance, routinely advise and assist people who have multiple payday loans and/or consumer leases that they took on due to t...
Anti-avoidance provisions for credit product intervention orders
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network • Financial Counselling Australia • WEstjusti...
Submission Select Committee on Cost of Living
In responding the cost of living crisis, consumers are contacting our services for advice and assistance. In 2022, there were 6,494 contacts to our financial counsellors via the National Debt Helpline...
Australian Securities and Investments Commission – inquiry into investigation and enforcement conduct
Effective enforcement action is a critical task of consumer protection regulators and essential to a well-functioning consumer market. In recent years, ASIC has completed a significant amount of meani...
A Strategic Plan for the Payments System
We consider the safety and resilience of the payments system to require urgent attention and intervention and outline the reasons for this in our joint submission with Financial Rights Legal Centre....
Inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia
Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers advise and assist people experiencing financial hardship and poverty on a daily basis. The data Consumer Action collects, as well as the reflections...
Code Governance Committee’s monitoring and compliance program for 2023-24 consultation
We are grateful for the opportunity to provide input to the Code Governance Committee’s (CGC) monitoring and compliance program for the 2023-24 financial year. In our submission we recommend that t...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24: Consultation Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Consultation Paper on the review of the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for 2023-24. On bal...
Submission to the Department of Treasury and Finance ahead of the 2023-24 Victorian Budget
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), WEstjustice, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), Hume Riverina Community Legal Service, Barwon Community Legal Service and Eastern Community Legal...
Treasury Options Paper, Regulating Buy Now Pay Later in Australia
Consumer Action has joined with 22 other organisations as part of the "Close Lending Loopholes Alliance" to make a submission to Treasury on its Options Paper, Regulating Buy Now Pay Later in Australi...