Consumers' Federation of Australia

25 August , 2022

Almost two in three Australians concerned about cost of home insurance

For the second quarter in a row, record numbers of people are very concerned about the cost of home insurance, according to new data from CHOICE. The nationally representative survey, conducted in June 2022, found that 64% of Australians were very concerned or quite concerned about the cost of home insurance. This is a media release from CHOICE.…

22 August , 2022

Price transparency and consumers’ right to food

Recently, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published an interview with Ian Jarratt from the Queensland Consumers Association on the relevance of retail food price transparency to the FAO’s Right to Food Program. In the interview Ian says that food price transparency is extremely relevant to consumers’ right to food because it ensures that…

22 August , 2022

Consumer empowerment must be central to Electric Vehicle Smart Charging

The Consumers’ Federation of Australia has made a submission to the Energy Security Board in response to its Issues Paper. CFA supports two representatives who participate in the Standards Committee, EM-001 Electric Vehicle Operation. The submission has been developed with the support of these expert consumer representatives and focuses on the questions in the Issues Paper related to…

22 August , 2022

Red alert for dangerous infant mattresses

The following is a piece by Dr Ron Somers (PhD) former external senior lecturer in public health at the University of Adelaide, former director of epidemiology at SA Health, and a long-time GP practice manager. Ron is also the CFA Standards Representative on two Standards Australia Technical Committees. Australian consumers need to exercise caution over the coming…

12 August , 2022

ASIC’s surveillance of internal dispute resolution in superannuation identifies concerns

Superannuation trustees are being urged to review their internal dispute resolution (IDR) arrangements after the first stage of an ASIC surveillance found indicators of significant compliance issues. This is a media release from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). It was originally published on 10th August, 2022. ASIC’s surveillance examines trustees’ compliance with the new enforceable requirements…

12 August , 2022

ACCC seeks to reduce infant sleep product risks to help keep babies safe

The ACCC is seeking feedback on ways to reduce significant safety risks associated with products commonly used to place babies to sleep. A consultation paper published today, outlines a range of proposed regulatory options which aim to prevent infant injuries and deaths caused by inclined and other products when used for sleep. This is a media release from the Australian…

12 August , 2022

ASIC releases research about investment behaviour

ASIC has released Report 735 Retail investor research (REP 735) capturing retail investor motivations, attitudes and behaviours in the period following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a media release from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). It was originally published on 11th August, 2022. The research surveyed 1,053 Australian retail investors aged 18 and over who…

8 August , 2022

Independent Review of Strata Insurance Practices – phase 1 recommendations

Strata insurance in Australia is a growing class of insurance business as a result of the rising popularity and development of multi-owner properties across the country. However, issues have arisen for consumers living in strata schemes (known as ‘owners corporations’, ‘body corporates’ etc). These issues include: strata managers commonly receive rebates of broker commissions and…

8 August , 2022

New report from Blind Citizens Australia on access to banking

Australians who are blind or vision impaired face significant barriers and issues when accessing banking and financial institutions and products in Australia, primarily resulting in complete inaccessibility to these institutions and products. This post is taken from a report by Blind Citizens Australia. It was originally published on 15th July, 2022. In a new report, Blind Citizens…

8 August , 2022

Caravan industry on notice for poor treatment of consumers

Australian consumers have reported widespread consumer guarantee failures, misrepresentations by caravan suppliers, and unexpected delays in the delivery and repair of caravans, according to the ACCC’s New caravan retailing report released today. This is a media release from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). It was originally published on 21st July, 2022. The report highlights key issues of concern…

8 August , 2022

Food and Agruculture Organization interview CFA Executive Ian Jarratt

Ian Jarratt, CFA Executive member and Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) member, was recently interviewed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations about the importance of food transparency, unit pricing, and the role that consumer associations need to play in the transformation of agri-food systems. In this interview, he talks about his experiences from…

8 August , 2022

Pram and stroller safety essentials

The recommended pram and stroller safety essentials are the AS/NZS 2088 label on the item, a sturdy frame, a five-point harness and a tether strap, according to the Australian Parenting website. Standards Australia recently published the revised AS 2088:2022 Prams and strollers – Safety requirements which provides manufacturers, authorities, and others with minimum safety requirements for prams and…