Submissions

Telecommunications—Reconnecting the Customer:
Consumer Action has welcomed the proposals in ACMA’s Reconnecting the Customer Inquiry Draft Report to improve customer service standards for telecommunications consumers.

We’ve also called for broader reform to telecommunications legislation to make consumer protection its focus. Read our submission.

Smart Meters Regulatory Review:
Consumer Action's submission to the Essential Services Commission on the Smart Meters Regulatory Review. A review process following the final decision on related matters in September 2010, seeking to address the matters requiring further consideration, namely:

the regulation of load control products;
the regulation of supply capacity control products for purposes other than credit management;
inclusion of the total accumulated consumption read corresponding to the start of the billing period on customers’ bills for smart meters; and
whether the distributors should be required to leave customers the final accumulation meter read when they change over the basic meter to a smart meter.

JUNE

Consumer Action’s submission to the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance Review of Advanced Metering Infrastructure which attempts to understand and address some of the underlying consumer concerns with the mandated rollout. Consumer Action raises a number of issues, and urges the Government to develop a clear policy agenda that prioritise the interests of consumers, including an effective communication campaign.

In a submission to the Victorian Taxi Industry Inquiry, Consumer Action has called for the Public Transport Ombudsman to have jurisdiction for complaints about taxi services.

MAY

Letter to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into Australia's Urban Water Sector.

Consumer Action made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in relation to Energy Assured Limited's applications for authorisation of their Code of Practice and Complaints Process. We remain disappointed with EAL's approach and lack of consultation during this process.

The Department of Primary Industries in Victoria is currently in the process of developing transitional legislation to support the introduction of the National Energy Customer Framework, with the goal of transferring retail energy regulatory responsibility to the Australian Energy Regulator in mid 2012. The two issues considered in this round of consultation was the transition of customer contracts and Victorian retail license arrangements. Consumer Action made a joint submission alongside several other Victorian organisations, emphasising a need to ensure that Victorian consumers do not lose key protections at a time when they are exposed to increasing prices and market complexity.

The Australian Energy Market Commission released a paper for consultation outlining its proposed Strategic Policies, focusing on three key themes. Our submission raised concerns that the Strategic Policies quite simply, failed to recognise the role of consumers within the national energy market, and their role in competition.

Joint submission to the Federal Government’s Reforming Flood Insurance: Clearing the Waters consultation with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, CHOICE, Financial Counselling Australia, Footscray Community Legal Centre, Insurance Law Service and National Legal Aid.

APRIL

The Victorian Essential Services Commission recently released an issues paper proposing amendments to the Energy Retail Code in relation to retailers’ obligations to customers, in particular in regard to payment difficulties, instalment plan provisions and reconnections. In our submission we highlighted concerns that the proposed changes to the Code will, quite simply, diminish consumer protections and increase the obligations on consumers, and suggested that instead, what is necessary is proactive enforcement of compliance to the existing obligations under the Code by the Commission.

Submission to Reserve Bank of Australia – Treasury ATM taskforce regarding competition in the ATM market and the level of ATM fees.

Submission to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy on opportunities to reform the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Scheme.

MARCH

Submission to Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee regarding proposed amendments to Credit Reporting provisions in Australian Privacy legislation.

Joint submission to Treasury on the Exposure Draft - National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Credit Cards and Home Loans) Bill 2011, with CHOICE and Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW

FEBRUARY

Submission to the Treasury regarding proposed amendment to the National Credit Code to ban exit fees on new home loans.

2010

DECEMBER

Submission to the National Measurement Institute’s consultation paper on lifting the exemption for electricity meters under the National Measurement Act

Submission to the ACCC’s process for authorising Energy Assured Limited’s application to establish an industry code

Submission to Senate Inquiry into Competition within the Australian banking sector