First Nations Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

1 August , 2024

ICAN Launches Yarnin’ Energy as Cost of Living Crisis Continues

ICAN’s Yarnin’ Energy project launched earlier this month after receiving funding from the Queensland Department of Energy and Climate’s, Enable Grants Program. ICAN CEO, Aaron Davis, said, “Inflation has seriously impacted household budgets and higher energy costs contribute to the current cost of living crisis. We’re excited to launch our Yarnin’ Energy project, which combines,…

31 July , 2024

First Nations-led Study on Lived Experience of Energy in Communities Launches

A new, first-of-its-kind First Nations-led research project has launched today, to improve energy security and consumer protections for customers accessing electricity services through pre-payment arrangements. Prepaid metering is mandated in many regional and remote Aboriginal communities and is associated with a high rate of disconnections and energy insecurity. Consumer protections for those customers vary across…

25 July , 2024

Money Yarns, Stronger Futures – Highlighting Challenges and Bold Recommendations

The Consumer Action Law Centre has today released a groundbreaking report titled Money Yarns, Stronger Futures. The report amplifies the voices of First Nations people, sharing their personal experiences to shed light on the significant challenges they face in achieving financial prosperity. Money Yarns, Stronger Futures not only highlights these challenges but also offers bold recommendations for both…

1 July , 2024

Youpla Support Program Starts Now

BackgroundThe Youpla Group, also called the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund (ACBF) sold funeral insurancepolicies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These were called Youpla funeral funds.When Youpla collapsed in March 2022, many community members could no longer pay for Sorry Business.From July 2024 the Youpla Support Program will replace the existing Treasury Program.The National…

25 June , 2024

ICAN Releases Literature Review on Economic Abuse in First Nations Communities

Today, ICAN releases its literature review: A study of local economic abuse in First Nations communities with a special focus on Australia and Canada. The study was undertaken by Professor Jerry Buckland from the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) and Carmen Daniels, Research Manager at ICAN. ICAN’s purpose in undertaking the research, was to review the literature…

23 May , 2024

Consumer Representative Opportunity – SafeAge Project

The SafeAge Project is a 3-year collaborative academic research project funded by theAustralian Research Council. The project aims to generate contemporary knowledge of the roleof consumer products in injuries and deaths for older Australians. This knowledge benefits: Context:There are significant consequences of unsafe consumer products on population health. Whilstthe government estimates there are around 780…

29 April , 2024

3G Network Closure Continues alongside Regional Telecommunications Review

Australia’s planned closure of the 3G network will continue with the two biggest 3G network closures and transitions to 4G planned for this June (Telstra) and September (Optus). The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), an industry association, has a website page dedicated to the 3G closure including a FAQs section and contact details for various…

26 April , 2024

Five Priorities Highlighted by First Nations Super Summit Report

The 2024 First Nations Super Summit has set five crucial priorities for the Indigenous Superannuation Working Group to address over the next 12 months, aiming to elevate super standards for First Nations people. These priorities include the standardisation of forms and the empowerment of financial counsellors to act on behalf of their Indigenous clients, as…

19 April , 2024

The Price Is Not Right: ICAN’s Queensland Supermarket Submission

As a provider of education, advocacy, and financial counselling services to people across North and Far North Queensland, ICAN recently provided a submission to the Inquiry into Supermarket Pricing in Queensland. Our submission focused on the significant price differences people experience when shopping depending on whether they are based in metropolitan Queensland or remote and…

12 April , 2024

ICAN Officially Launches New Thrive Matched Savings Program

ICAN (Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network) is thrilled to announce the launch of its innovative Thrive Matched Savings program, a pioneering initiative designed to empower individuals on their journey towards financial independence. As an organisation committed to fostering financial wellbeing, ICAN introduces this program to not only support savings efforts but also to double the impact…

28 March , 2024

Continued Ban of Business Centrepay Use in Remote Australia Welcomed as Advocates Call for Broader Centrepay Reform

First Nations and other consumer advocates have welcomed the extension of ASIC’s interim Stop Order on Coral Coast Distributors (Cairns) Ptd Ltd trading as Urban Rampage (Urban Rampage) retail stores, where customers enter agreements to pay for goods on credit through Centrepay deductions. The original stop order was imposed because ASIC received complaints about Urban…

28 March , 2024

Consumers Respond to ACCC: Higher Grocery Prices Force Many to Sacrifice

“Taking into account the demographics of those who have already responded, we particularly want to hear from more adults under the age of 30, people for whom English is not their first language, and people in rural and regional parts of Australia.”

“Having responses that reflect the whole community’s experience will help us to identify the right issues that need to be explored more deeply in our inquiry. Findings from the consumer survey will be included as part of the ACCC’s interim report, due by the end of August,” Mr Keogh said.