Consumers' Federation of Australia

2 March , 2017

ACCC names key enforcement and compliance priorities for 2017

The Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Rod Sims says 2017 will see its enforcement teams hone in on misleading and deceptive practices, anti-competitive conduct and unfair contract terms affecting small businesses. Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) event in Sydney today, Mr Sims launched the ACCC’s 2017 Compliance…

1 March , 2017

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner honoured

Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Matt Kean has today paid tribute to NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe for his 40 years of service to the people of NSW, including 28 years in the consumer affairs portfolio. Mr Stowe’s love of public service began appropriately on Valentine’s Day in 1977, when he was appointed…

22 February , 2017

CFA publishes Submission to the Commission’s Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration Draft Report

Consumers’ Federation of Australia has published its submission to the Commission’s Consumer Law Enforcement and Administration Draft Report. The submission calls for additional public funding for consumer advocacy. Furthermore, CFA encourages the Productivity Commission to develop mechanisms which found fund the necessary consumer advocacy and input, aside from a call on the Federal Budget. The…

15 February , 2017

Consumers left wanting more from energy retail markets

CFA member Energy Consumers Australia has published the results of its second bi-annual survey of the attitudes and activity of household and small business energy consumers. Energy Consumers Australia CEO Rosemary Sinclair said the survey of 2,300 consumers, undertaken during August and September 2016, showed that energy consumers are seeing mixed results. “As we found…

14 February , 2017

Call for improved power retailing

The Queensland Consumers Association is calling on energy retailers, politicians and regulators to place the retail market at the centre of thinking about the transformation of the energy system. This is a key conclusion from a national survey* of 2300 consumers just released by Energy Consumers Australia (ECA). The survey revealed that: consumers rank the…

9 February , 2017

Australians need a one-stop-shop ombudsman to deal with banking & finance complaints

Getting problems with your bank, insurance or finance company solved fairly and quickly is too hard and Australia needs a one-stop-shop ombudsman for financial service problems, say leading consumer advocates. In a submission endorsed by eight consumer organisations provided to the Ramsay Review into External Dispute Resolution in the banking and finance sector, advocates have…

8 February , 2017

Products safety handbook protects consumers

All businesses who supply products to Australian consumers must comply with Australian product safety laws as outlined by ACCC Product Safety. Consumers Federation of Australia representative Gail Greatorex is a member of the Standards Australia Technical Committee which completed a review of four key parts of the product safety framework set of documents. One of…

8 February , 2017

ACCAN urges Government to allocate budget funds to mobile expansion, USO and broadband monitoring

In its Pre-Budget Submission for the 2017-18 Budget, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has urged the Federal Government to allocate funding to telecommunications initiatives that will benefit consumers. ACCAN’s recommendations include ongoing funding for the Mobile Black Spot Program, ongoing funding to ensure that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) continues until new safeguards…

7 February , 2017

New Heat Pack standard improves safety

Wheat bags have been associated with numerous residential fires, serious burns and a fatality in Australia.

3 February , 2017

John Furbank reports: 3rd meeting of ISO PC249 Guidance on unit pricing

John Furbank, the Chair of the ISO/PC 294 recently attended the 3rd meeting on unit pricing. He reports to us below. The 3rd meeting of ISO PC294 Guidance on unit pricing was held at the headquarters of Shufuren (association of consumer groups) Tokyo, Japan in December 2016. Standards Australia is the Secretariat for ISO PC…

2 February , 2017 1 comment

CFA Executive Ian Jarratt awarded Medal of the Order of Australia

Consumers Federation Australia is delighted to congratulate Standards Representative and Executive Member Ian Jarratt on being awarded the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division as part of the Australia Day Honours List for 2017. Ian has received the medal for service to the community, particularly to the rights and protection…

1 February , 2017

Financial Counsellors Welcome “Better Banking” … but Where’s the Funding for Financial Counselling?

Financial counsellors welcome today’s commitment by the banking industry to better banking, including making financial hardship support programs more accessible and setting up a debt repayment service. But the big question remains: why is there still no funding for financial counselling? Most of the clients seen by financial counsellors have debts with banks, yet the…