I rise to make a statement on the Consumer Affairs Victoria annual report
2007-08. Consumer Affairs Victoria is the state’s leading consumer protection
agency and was established to protect and promote consumer interests and to make
sure that consumers get a fair deal. In the reporting period CAV received more
than 545 000 calls to its consumer helpline. Some 126 890 of those calls were in
relation to fair trading issues. In the area of fair trading, the CAV won the
chair’s award for its work with Victorian certificate of applied learning
students and partnered with the Office of Gaming and Racing on responsible
gambling legislation. It secured over $700 000 in court fines and over $420 000
in compensation for consumers, and concluded 45 prosecutions and 228 civil
proceedings.
In respect of residential accommodation, one of the key
projects CAV worked on was developing an educational program for the Sudanese
community. I know it will be a very worthy resource in the Sudanese communities
in the electorate of Western Victoria Region, particularly in Warrnambool, Colac
and Geelong. CAV reproduced the publication Renting a Home in more accessible
formats for newly arrived residents. It also funded a program that enabled over
3500 vulnerable and disadvantaged tenants to get advocacy help. This was done
through funding seven agencies around Victoria to provide advocacy services to
private rental tenants who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and need intensive
face-to-face support.
With the state and federal government providing a fantastic
opportunity for first home buyers with a number of grants, CAV has also assisted
people in matters of buying, selling and building property — for example, it
sponsored and exhibited at the First Home Buyers Expo.
CAV answered a record 15 963 calls on real estate matters and a
record 29 737 calls on building matters in the reporting period; finalised 1721
disputes between builders and consumers; and recovered over $2.6 million for
consumers, doubling the amount received in the previous reporting period.
Turning to the area of regional support, in the electorate of
Western Victoria Region we have a CAV office in Gheringhap Street, Geelong,
which also provides a mobile service to Camperdown, Colac, Corio, Drysdale,
Queenscliff and Winchelsea. CAV has another office in Liebig Street,
Warrnambool, that provides a mobile service to Casterton, Hamilton, Heywood,
Mortlake, Port Fairy and Portland. In the Grampians region the head office in
Sturt Street, Ballarat, provides a mobile service to Ararat, Bacchus Marsh,
Beaufort, Daylesford, Edenhope, Horsham, Meredith, Nhill, St Arnaud and
Warracknabeal.
During the reporting period, specific projects worked on in
regional Victoria were: educating landlords on their rights and responsibilities
under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997; working with stakeholders to educate
potential first-time tenants; educating seniors and other socially isolated
consumers about scams, itinerant traders and coercive salespeople; educating
local traders about the Fair Trading Act 1999; and checking that regional
traders comply with the law. That activity was conducted in four areas: Mildura,
Gippsland, Ballarat and Phillip Island. In conclusion I would like to register
my absolute support for the work of CAV and I congratulate all those involved in
providing this important service.
