Curbing lead generation activity
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Super Consumers Australia, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Legal Servi...
Strengthening Protections for Energy Consumers in Victoria
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission with support from Westjustice and Mob Strong Debt Help, to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in response to their consultation on Stage 2 of...
Improving life support processes: Draft determination
This is a joint submission with the Justice and Equity Centre (JEC), Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association (CPSA), Council on the Ageing (COTA), Ethnic Communities Council NSW (ECC) and...
Independent Review of the Customer Owned Banking Association Code of Practice
This is a joint submission by CARE, CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Credit Legal Service Western Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre, Each, Financial Counselling Australia, Financi...
Victorian Default Offer 2026-27 draft decision
The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) leads this joint submission with Consumer Action Law Centre, community services sector organisations, and energy consumer advocates who welcome the draf...
ACMA Compliance and Enforcement Priorities 2026–27
This submission provides Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) feedback to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) consultation on its compliance and enforcement...
Getting to Fair: Advancing Equity strategy consultation
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Getting to Fair: Advancing Equity draft strategy consultation by the Essential Services Commission (ESC). We provide our su...
Unfair Trading Practices – Exposure Draft and Explanatory Memorandum
We are providing this supplementary submission to Treasury, to highlight the need to explicitly consider manipulative lead generation practices in the Exposure Draft legislation and Explanatory Memora...
Banking Code Compliance Committee priorities 2026-27
This submission is provided on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help and Mortgage Stress Victoria. We strongly support the Banking Code Complian...
Insurance: Code Governance Committee Monitoring & Compliance Priorities 2026-27
This is a joint submission from the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights), Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Counsellors’ Association of Western Australia (FCAWA)....
Information Request: Deferred Sales Model Class Exemptions
The Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) long held position has been that there should be few if any exemptions at all to the Deferred Sale...
Joint Consumer Submission – Scams Prevention Framework draft law package and position paper
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • CHOICE • Financial Rights Legal Centre • Financial Counselling Australia • Westjustice • Consumer Credit Legal Servic...
Joint Consumer Submission to the Life Code Independent Review
Consumer Action is a signatory to the Joint Consumer Submission to the Life Code Independent Review. This submission builds a case that the current Life Code – and the ‘promises’ life insurers make...
Joint Submission: Banking Code Compliance Committee – Basic Bank Accounts
This joint submission is provided on behalf of Consumer Action Law Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Rights Legal Centre, ICAN, Mortgage Stress Victoria and Financial Counselling Australia. B...
Proposed billing exception approval for Greater Western Water
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) proposed billing exception for Greater Western Water (GWW). We...
Response to the ASIC’s Regulatory Simplification Paper REP 813
Consumer Action has welcomed the opportunity to take part in the Australian Securities and Investment Commission's (ASIC) simplification work via the Simplification Consultative Group. In that forum w...
Better protections for life support customers in Victoria review
We welcome the opportunity to provide the Essential Services Commission (ESC) our submission in partnership with Westjustice. Life support customers are some of the most vulnerable people in Austra...
Response to Productivity Commission Interim Report: Creating a more dynamic and resilient economy
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Policy Research Centre and CHOICE. We welcome the opportunity to inform this national conversation...
Consultation: Approach to general insurance claims handling
Consumer Action Law Centre was delighted to have the opportunity to provide feedback on the Australian Financial Complaint Authority's (AFCA) new approach to General Insurance Claims Handling (the App...
Draft Determination AA1000683 – Application by the Australian Banking Association
This is a joint submission from Consumer Action Law Centre, Mob Strong Debt Help, Financial Rights Legal Centre, and Financial Counselling Australia. Basic bank accounts (BBAs) are incredibly valua...
Energy Consumer Reforms Regulatory Impact Statement
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the proposed reforms outlined by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS). We consider that these reforms will prov...
Second AUSTRAC Consultation on new AML/CTF Rules
This is a joint submission made on behalf of: • Consumer Action Law Centre • Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network • Super Consumers Australia • Financial Counselling Australia • Mob Strong Debt...
Proposed AFCA Rules changes to expand jurisdiction over receiving banks in scams
We welcomed this year’s Federal Government announcement and Authorisation to expand AFCA’s jurisdiction to enable AFCA to consider complaints against banks for scam matters where an AFCA complainant d...
Minimum disconnection amount draft decision
In this submission, we discuss the significance of energy affordability in determining a disconnection amount, the risks with setting a threshold to disconnect a person or household from an essential...
Better Energy Customer Experiences consultation
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) supports the prioritisation of a strong energy consumer protection framework for Australian energy customers, particularly as we transition to renewable en...
Joint Submission: Centrepay Reform – Consultation
This is a joint submission led by Financial Rights Legal Centre, supported by Consumer Action Law Centre and: • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network • AnglicareNT • Brotherhood of St...
Draft Determination – Application by the Australian Banking Association
We provide the following comment on Draft Determination AA1000683 in response to the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA) application to continue offering Basic Bank Accounts (BBAs) and certain cond...
ACMA Compliance Priorities 2025-26
Overall, we support the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA’s) current compliance and enforcement priorities and recommend they are extended into 2025-26 as there is more work to be do...
Victorian Energy Upgrades Strategic Review: Discussion Paper
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission responding to the Discussion Paper released as part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Strategic Review. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer A...
Compensation Scheme of Last Resort post-impementation review
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the joint submission by CHOICE and other consumer organisations. We provide this supplementary submission in response to the Compensation Scheme of Last Re...
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) – Draft Regulations
The consumer sector has been calling for appropriate regulation of BNPL for several years and we are pleased that legislation will shortly come into force, providing some protection to customers, part...
Proposed updates to RG209 with respect to the treatment of HECS debt in responsible lending
Consumer Action Law Centre’s perspective is that the changes suggested appear commonsense, particularly because they describe a closer assessment of a person’s income and expenditure in providing cons...
Code Governance Committee monitoring priorities for 2025-26
Insurance files form a large part of our legal casework and frequently involve clients in personal or financial crisis. While many claims may appear straightforward to an insurer, no claim is simple t...
The Banking Code Compliance Committee’s priorities for 2025-26
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC) examining Code compliance through Bank@Post closely. We frequently hear anecdotal issues with accessing bankin...
Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Consumer Protections Review
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in response to the Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Con...
Victorian Default Offer 2025-26 Request for comment
The cost-of-living crisis has deepened the urgency of ensuring an affordable energy price for Victorians. On Consumer Action’s frontlines, we hear from Victorians every day who are struggling to meet...
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...
Strategic Review of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We welcome the opportunity to provide our feedback to the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) strategic review. Consumer Action supports the VEU program objectives of helping Victorians to make energy...
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...