Housing

Post thumbnail

South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) has released a new report: Protecting the Basics: Insurance access for people on low incomes at risk from climate emergencies. The report finds that there is a significant proportion of people in South Australia on low incomes with uninsured homes, contents, and cars because they can’t afford insurance. It…

Read More Protecting the Basics report highlights insurance gaps

Post thumbnail

Joint campaign from WEstjustice and CHOICE improves landlord insurance recoveries processes WEstjustice and CHOICE have secured insurance industry commitments to stop the practice of unfairly pursuing renters for accidental damage. This change means that no renter in Australia should receive a bill for accidental or unintentional property damage to the homes they rent. All major…

Read More Insurers stop renter robodebt and commit to minimum standards to protect tenants

Post thumbnail

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is proposing to update the energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings in the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC). The proposed provisions are included in stage 2 of the NCC 2022 public comment draft (PCD). This is a consultation from the Australian Building Codes Board. It was originally published on…

Read More Consultation Regulation Impact Statement closing soon

An open door with keys hanging in the lock An open door with keys hanging in the lock

Consumers and COVID-19: September results snapshot. New consumer data released today by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) investigating the experience of consumers in the month of September reveals a stark contrast in the experiences of renters and mortgage holders trying to maintain their financial, emotional and physical wellbeing during the pandemic. Higher levels of financial stress…

Read More A tale of two homes: Australia’s housing market divides the population

Post thumbnail

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) supports a ban on vendor term and rent-to-buy agreements in the housing market proposed by the Sale of Land Amendment Bill 2019, which is to be introduced to Parliament today. The ban was a key recommendation from Consumer Action’s 2015 report, Fringe Dwellings: The vendor finance and rent-to-buy housing black…

Read More Ban on vendor term and rent-to-buy transactions to make buying a home fairer for all Victorians

Post thumbnail

Consumer think-tank launches latest research report – The Renter’s Journey –at CPRC Policy Connect Series forum • 5 common challenges• 10 key policy implications• 20+ organisations involved in research process Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) has released its latest research report – The Renter’s Journey – following the rental experiences of four key groups of…

Read More Renters must be at centre of reforms, CPRC report finds

Tradie with toolbelt

New home owners in NSW will be better protected after the NSW Government announced strong plans to improve the building and construction industry. Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the plan, which includes appointing a Building Commissioner, has been months in the making, after the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) commissioned an independent report into…

Read More Biggest overhaul of building laws in NSW history

Post thumbnail

New research from leading consumer and tenancy groups (CHOICE, National Shelter and the National Association of Tenant Organisations (NATO)) show that Australians who rent are living in fear of eviction and rent rises. The report ‘DISRUPTED: The consumer experience of renting in Australia ‘DISRUPTED: The consumer experience of renting in Australia’ surveyed Australians who rent…

Read More New report from leading consumer and tenancy group on renting in Australia

Post thumbnail

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has launched its ‘Get Connected’ consumer resource which includes a mapping tool and a series of useful steps for consumers who are struggling to get an ADSL connection while they are waiting for NBN to arrive in their area. Issues accessing ADSL services have become a common complaint…

Read More ACCAN launches new ‘Get Connected’ resource for consumers struggling to get a broadband connection

Post thumbnail

The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) and other consumer groups1 want all parties contesting the forthcoming federal election to do much more to help consumers experiencing cost of living pressures. QCA spokesperson, Ian Jarratt, says being able to easily and quickly get better value at the supermarket would help consumers to “ease the squeeze” on living…

Read More Consumers call for political parties to help ease the squeeze on living standards