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Consumer Action Law Centre and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service are thrilled to be jointly publishing our new report today Money Yarns, Stronger Futures.

We would like to sincerely thank all the First Nations people who graciously gave their time and shared their stories for the purposes of this report. Their contributions have resulted in more meaningful and powerful data and have allowed us increased confidence that the recommendations put forward are in line with
the needs of the community.

We also wish to thank the leadership and staff of the numerous Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations (ACCO’s) and First Nations organisations that have enabled us to contextualise our research with their data and anecdotal findings.

A special thank you to Uncle Rodney Jackson for his leadership, insights and cultural guidance during the drafting of this report. Consumer Action has gained so much from our ongoing partnership, and we have been honoured and humbled by your generosity and kindness.

Executive Summary

First Nations people are excellent money managers. In the face of deeply entrenched systemic disadvantage, where the laws, policies and systems of colonisation have caused their financial disadvantage to be far higher than non-First Nation’s Australians, First Nations people have remained adept at juggling the money they have to cover the increasing costs of living for themselves, their family and their community.

Despite their resilience, First Nations consumers continue to experience harm due to systems and regulatory approaches that do not meet their needs.

This report delves into the experiences of First Nations consumers across Victoria, documenting the work of Consumer Action and VALS in providing crucial civil legal and financial counselling support.

By integrating client data with firsthand accounts and client stories, this report offers a view of the challenges faced and in the words of those facing them. We have identified areas where there is urgent need for improvement, presenting bold recommendations that aim to break persistent cycles of unmet need and achieve outcomes that will contribute to closing the gap over time.

Consumer, credit and debt issues and systems are the focus of this report, as these are the areas in which Consumer Action and VALS have expertise, influence and impact. However, the people we interviewed also raised issues that, while related, are outside our expertise.

The issue that came through the strongest was housing. In generously sharing their insights and experiences, First Nations people drew our attention to the overlap between consumer issues and housing issues, and the need for further scrutiny in this space in terms of liveability, affordability, access and location.

Stepping back and viewing all the data, research and interviews presents some big themes regarding safety for First Nations people. Safety in systems and services, safety in the products that are available and underpinning it all the critical importance of cultural safety.

Read the full report and recommendations (PDF).