Submission - Consumer Action Law Centre

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)....

Submission: Inquiry into credit and financial services targeted at Australians at risk of financial hardship

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...

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...

Submission: Banking Executive Accountability Regime Bill

We welcome the opportunity to provide comments in relation to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures) Bill 2017 (the Bill). We support the Banking Execut...

Supplementary Submission: Open Banking Review

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) are pleased to make this supplementary submission in response t...

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...

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...

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...

Litigation Funding and Group Proceedings: Consultation Paper

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Consultation Paper on Litigation Funding and Group Proceedings. This is an important and broad...

Inquiry into the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017: Submission

Consumer Action joins with FamilyCare Shepparton to make this submission. Shepparton is the only Victorian community that is currently subject to income management, a policy similar to the Cashless De...

Treasury Laws Amendment (Putting Consumers First—Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority) Bill 2017

Consumer advocates are very supportive of the move to a one-stop shop external dispute resolution (EDR) scheme that implements the considered recommendations of the Review of the Financial System Exte...

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