The Productivity Commission’s report on its Inquiry into Australia’s Urban Water Sector is a mixed bag for water consumers, but it strongly endorses the need for consumer advocacy on water policy and on consumer policy generally.
Read More Productivity Commission reconfirms need for national consumer advocacy and research
CFA member CHOICE updates it’s better food labelling campaign.
Read More Momentum building around kilojoule-counts on fast food menu boards
A disability support pensioner, Ronald Hayes, has taken legal action against Australian’s biggest payday lender in the Victorian Magistrates Court.
Read More Cash Converters lending practices challenged in court
ACCAN and Financial Counselling Australia are celebrating a major step forward in the Fair Calls for All campaign.
Read More Nearly the end for high cost 1800 and 13 calls from mobile phones
“Nanny state” is an ideological term invented by extremists to deride the innovations of modern law and government designed to offer consumers and citizens protections from risks that it is unreasonable to place on individuals alone. Of course many who now use the term d so innocently and now are merely concerned that in some…
Read More The “Nanny State” cleans up at IQ squared debate
The Productivity Commission has released the final report on its inquiry into Australia’s urban water sector, proposing profound changes to the way water services are provided in cities and regional towns across Australia. Along the way it restated its support for national funding of a peak consumer advocacy organisation.
Read More Profound changes to urban water services recommended
CFA member ACCAN is celebrating a major step forward in its campaign for fair calls following an announcement today that the telco regulator, the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) will put an end to the high cost of 1800 and 13 calls from mobiles. The ACMA has plans to alter what’s known as the…
Read More Major victory in campaign for Fair Calls from Mobiles
The United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has said that agreement has been reached on a globally-recognised set of methodologies to assess the environmental impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs), and on preparing a report on guidelines on the use of minerals from conflict areas. See more information here.
Read More UN reports agreement on ways to assess green impact of information technologies
CFA Member ACCAN has provided its view on Telstra’s proposed structural separation undertaking (SSU) in a submission to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). Along with much of the industry, we agree with the ACCC that the current SSU is lacking a clear and enforceable commitment to fair treatment of retail competitors. ACCAN supports…
Read More Fair treatment of competitors needed in Telstra separation
Anna Bligh
Premier Anna Bligh wants insurance companies forced to pay their clients’ full claims if they are not dealt with in a reasonable time. This proposal, which would require Federal legislation, is contained in the Queensland Government’s submission to the federal parliamentary inquiry into the insurance response to natural disasters. “We also want to see insurance…
Read More Queensland Government wants insurers to pay up
New research shows welfare recipients are using payday lenders to meet regular living expenses and are then trapped in a debt spiral, continuously indebted to one or more loan companies for considerable periods according to Caught Short an Interim Report by RMIT University and the University of Queensland and funded by National Australia Bank and…
Read More RMIT & UQ research: Payday loans a debt trap for welfare recipients
As long ago as 2006 CFA member Choice called attention to the huge losses suffered by consumers through fees and administrative costs on lost and multiple superannuation accounts. With input from data from Rice Walker actuaries Choice estimated consumers lost between $1.2 and $2 billion per annum in unnecessary fees and charges At that time…
Read More Welcome action on billion dollar multiple super fund problem
