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...
Submission: Open Banking Review
Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Financial Counselling Australia are pleased to make this submission in response to the Open Banking Review Issues Paper. We acknowledge t...
Submission: Inquiry into Competition in the Australian Financial System
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) and the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) have welcomed the Productivity Commission’s review of c...
Submission: New Car Retailing Industry ACCC Draft Report
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is pleased to make this submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) new car retail industry market study draft report (the Draf...
Proposed changes to TIO Terms of Reference
ACCAN and Consumer Action Law Centre made a joint submission to the consultation on proposed changes to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) terms of reference. We are pleased that the TIO...
Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act). Consumer Action ha...
Submission: Credit card reform exposure draft legislation
The Consumer Action Law Centre is pleased to comment on the exposure draft Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 8) Bill 2017: Credit card reforms (the Bill) and National Consumer Credit Protecti...
Submission: Comment: Towards a transparent public reporting regime for life insurance claims information
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Discussion Paper Towards a transparent public reporting regime for life insurance claims information, outlining the options and issues involved in the n...
Submission: Comment on ASIC CP 284: Example statement of advice for life insurance—Update to RG 90
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on ASIC’s draft Regulatory Guide 90: Example statement of advice: Scaled advice for new customer and Consultation Paper 284. We appreciate the complex and exte...
Submission: APRA powers for non-ADI lenders
The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and CHOICE have made a joint submission on the draft Treasury Laws Amendment (Non-ADI Lender Rules) Bill 2017 (the draft Bill). We support the proposa...
Submission: Banking Executive Accountability Regime
Consumer Action Law Centre has supported CHOICE's submission on the proposed Banking Executive Accountability Regime. We strongly welcome the intent of these reforms. The community rightly expects tha...
Comment on ASIC proposed ban on flex-commissions
Thank you for the opportunity to make additional comments on the proposed ASIC Credit (Flexible Credit Cost Arrangements) Instrument banning flex-commissions. Consumer Action supports this proposal. I...
Submission: Data Governance Australia Draft Code of Practice
The collection, use and management of data by companies is of significant and growing interest for consumer advocates. We welcome industry efforts to better protect and promote the rights of people wh...
Submission: Internal Dispute Resolution in Retirement Villages
We welcome Consumer Affairs Victoria’s interest in improving internal dispute resolution processes in retirement villages, and believe that the reforms suggested will likely result in some improvement...
Submission: Black Economy Taskforce Interim Report
Contributors to this submission have supported and represented thousands of consumers over many years. We support the overall intention of the Taskforce, which is to develop an ‘innovative, forward-lo...
EDR Review Supplementary Issues Paper – Last resort compensation for victims of financial misconduct
A series of financial scandals have left many Australians out of pocket and in some cases, resulted in the loss of the family home or a secure retirement. Scandals have not just occurred in relation t...