Terrorism Insurance Act Review 2018
Consumer Action has reviewed a selection of current Product Disclosure Statements (PDSs) of major brands of domestic insurance to assess whether they are likely to cover loss, damage, liability, costs...
Joint submission: Attorney-General’s Department Review of Financial Hardship Arrangements
Consumer advocates consider that any additional information permitted to be shared or held as part of the credit reporting system is inherently a further privacy intrusion and must be justified to be...
Review into the Australian Taxation Office’s use of Garnishee Notices
We reject the legal status quo which enables garnishee orders issued prior to bankruptcy to continue to garnish the wages of bankrupted individuals post-bankruptcy. As we understand it, garnishee ord...
Payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision...
Submission: Protecting Your Super package: Exposure Draft
This submission focuses on insurance in superannuation and the interests of people who are on low incomes or have low superannuation balances. It supports the majority of CHOICE’s recommendations in i...
Submission: NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor Standard Profile Quotations
This joint submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Legal Centre responds to the NSW Emergency Services Levy Insurance Monitor’s 'Standard profile quotations Mid-term review,...
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...
Submission: Implementation of prohibition on flex-commissions
The Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the implementation of the prohibition on flex-commissions Consultation Paper (the Consultation Paper). We generally support the...
Draft AER Benefit Change Notice Guidelines – Submission
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to AER’s Draft Benefit Change Notice Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). This policy area is well trodden ground for Co...
Submission: 2018 Water Price Review standard draft decisions
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) standard draft decisions in the 2018 Water Price Review for Barwon Wate...
Submission to the Australian Consumer Law Review – Clarification, simplification and modernisation of the consumer guarantee framework
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), WEstjustice, National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) and Federation of Community Legal Centres (Victoria) Inc welcome the opportunity...
NEM Data Strategy Consultation Paper
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board (ESB) Consultation Paper regarding the development of the NEM Data Strategy. Consumer...
AEMC National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflated energy rates) Rule 2018 Consultation Paper
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflate...
Submission – Inquiry into Competition in the Australian Financial System Draft Report
The Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and the Financial Rights Legal Centre are pleased to provide a submission in response to the Inquiry into Competition in the Australian...
Oversight of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority: Update to ASIC Regulatory Guide 139
In Australia, everyone should be able to easily access a free, fair, fast and effective service to resolve complaints against financial firms. The establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints...
Consumer Action Submission: Developing a reference price methodology for Victoria’s energy market
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Consultation Paper regarding the development of a methodology to determine...
Summary of Consumer Action submission to Royal Commission on consumer lending and reform recommendations
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has published its submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector in response to the consumer lending...
Submission: DELWP Consultation Paper – Response to the Bipartisan Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets in Victoria
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the government's Interim Response to the Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets...
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...
Water Price Review – Consumer Action recommends water bills be cut by over $700 million over five years
An independent report commissioned by Consumer Action Law Centre has recommended the Victorian water regulator lower the rates for equity and debt costs for water authorities. This would have the effe...
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)....
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...
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...
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...
Submission: Debt Agreement Reform
Consumer advocates welcome the reform of the debt agreement regime in the Bankruptcy Amendment (Debt Agreement Reform) Bill 2018. Comprehensive reform is needed to curb the rampant mis-se...
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: 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)....
Drought legal assistance scoping project – Final report
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) contracted Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) to undertake a detailed scoping and service model development project for Drought Legal Assistance for Victoria. This...
Submission: Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers
We are grateful for the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Design and Distribution Obligations and Product Intervention Powers) Bill 2018 (the Bill). We s...
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...
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...
Submission: Bankruptcy Amendment (Enterprise Incentives) Bill 2017
Financial Rights Legal Centre and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's Inquiry into the Bankruptcy Amendment (Enter...
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)....
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...
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...
Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector – Consumer Action submission part 1
Consumer Action Law Centre has published part 1 of its initial submission to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Finance Sector today. The submission draws on the e...
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...
Submission: Paper Billing Consultation Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission in response to the Paper Billing Consultation Paper (Consultation Paper). Consumer Action supports Option 2 in the Co...
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...
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...
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...
Joint submission: Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority
Seven consumer groups made a joint submission to Treasury's consultation on the Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). Consumer advocates are very supportive of the...
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...
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]...
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...
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...
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: Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017
Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission on the exposure draft of the Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017. We appreciate the improvements to enhance the readability and clarity of the Ex...
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...
Submission: Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms
We are pleased to make a submission in regards to the Exposure Draft Bill (the Bill) and Explanatory Materials implementing the Government’s response to the Small Amount Credit Contracts Review (the R...