Housing

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Recently Australia has experienced record-breaking rainfall and floods, generating the perfect storm for the spread of mould in water-damaged properties. Condensation in your home can cause damp, mould, and rot. This can cause rotting of building materials and, if mould spores become airborne indoors, harmful effects on human health. A new Draft Australian Standard AS-IICRC…

Read More Mould in buildings – New standard open for Public Comment

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Rental assistance needs to be urgently increased to ensure that Australia’s retirees are not living in poverty, COTA Australia says. The call follows a Grattan Institute report released today which shows that two in three retirees who rent in the private market live below the poverty line. COTA Australia – the leading advocacy organisation for…

Read More Urgent increase in rent assistance necessary to lift retirees out of poverty

News

Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin said she was absolutely delighted that Minister Bill Shorten has announced consumer protections and reforms to Centrepay that restore it to its original purpose; that it should only be used by consumers to make regular voluntary payments for essential bills and expenses. (link to media release) “We have…

Read More New Centrepay Reform Bans Predatory Rent-to-Buy’s in Win for Consumers and Advocates

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The Australian Government’s cyclone reinsurance pool has begun delivering lower premiums for some consumers in some regions facing higher risk of cyclones, the ACCC’s third insurance monitoring report has found. However, the savings generated by the reinsurance pool have been offset to varying extents by other cost increases affecting insurance markets. These costs include the broader hardening…

Read More Savings from Cyclone Reinsurance Pool Present, Offset by Cost Increases

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The latest round of indexation starting 20 September, 2024 – including Age Pension, Carer Payment and Commonwealth Rental Assistance – is a welcome and necessary ongoing step towards alleviating cost-of-living pressures, but further action is needed to address financial pressures faced by older people, says the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia. COTA Australia CEO…

Read More Pension Indexation and Commonwealth Rent Assistance Boost Give Some Relief to Older Australians

Brick apartment building

The New South Wales government has introduced groundbreaking legislation that imposes the strictest obligations on strata managers in Australia regarding the disclosure of insurance commissions. This legislative move follows a series of public concerns, including those raised by ABC’s 7:30 Report and ACIL, which earlier this year referred 146 instances of misconduct to regulatory authorities.…

Read More NSW Government Proposes Nation’s Strictest Disclosure Obligations for Strata Managers

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The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation for ResiLoop to establish and operate a voluntary, industry-led product stewardship scheme (the Scheme) that collects and recycles resilient flooring waste. Resilient flooring is floorcoverings made from natural mineral fillers combined with materials such as vinyl, linoleum or rubber. Approximately 60,000 tonnes of resilient flooring waste is generated each year…

Read More ACCC Seeks Feedback on Proposed Flooring Recycling Scheme

Money Yarns, Stronger Futures The consumer, credit and debt issues of First Nations consumers in Victoria. Integrated Practice Project Report 2021-2023

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…

Read More Money Yarns, Stronger Futures – Highlighting Challenges and Bold Recommendations

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The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby Inc, Financial Rights Legal Centre (which operates the national Insurance Law Service), Queensland Consumers Federation, Consumers Federation of Australia, Unit Owners Association of Queensland and Owners Corporation Network are united in calling on the Queensland Government to show leadership in addressing the escalating crisis of insurance affordability. In the face…

Read More Joint Call for Action: Addressing Insurance Affordability in Queensland

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The groups emphasise the critical role of the Commissioner’s office in addressing the unique challengesof the strata sector, which currently houses 35% of NSW residents, with projections of 50% by 2040. “Despite the visionary establishment of the Strata and Property Services Commissioner’s Office, and thecommendable efforts of John Minns since his appointment, the office is…

Read More Consumer Groups Call for Increased Resourcing of NSW Strata & Property Services Commissioner as Strata Populations Increase

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This year’s Ruby Hutchison Memorial lecture shone a light on just how much the consumer protection movement together with regulators has achieved in the last 50 years, and the complex consumer issues we’re still seeking answers to today. Bringing in a musical theme and recognising the rockstar influence of the speakers, the ACCC Deputy Chair…

Read More The 2024 Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture – 50 Years of Consumer Advocacy