Aboriginal Consumers Education Plan 12 Principles

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Consumer Protection Division Aboriginal Consumers Education Plan - 12 Principles
 

The Commitment

What Consumer Protection is doing

Principle 1: Consumer Protection continues to consult with Aboriginal consumers, communities and organisations to develop and deliver a range of culturally appropriate services. These services continue to aim to inform and educate Aboriginal people about basic consumer rights and obligations. We will continue to raise awareness on issues that impact Aboriginal people, provide updates of Consumer Protection laws and emerging issues, including scams.

Continue to consult with Aboriginal community organisations and individuals to develop and deliver a range of culturally appropriate consumer information.

Principle 2: In addition to specific information and education for Aboriginal consumers, Consumer Protection will seek to ensure that general consumer information and education initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal people.

Continue to encourage the use of Aboriginal images in general and digital publications.

Principle 3: Consumer Protection will focus on motor vehicles, tenancy issues and basic consumer rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in providing targeted information and education for Aboriginal consumers.

Continue to develop culturally appropriate low-literacy publications both traditional and digital in the areas of tenancy, car purchase and repairs, and general consumer rights.

Principle 4: Consumer Protection continues to monitor the Western Australian marketplace to better understand consumer issues impacting Aboriginal consumers. This includes focused attention on motor vehicle purchases and repairs, tenant rights and obligations, and shopping rights.

Engage with the community to collect data to better understand issues Aboriginal consumers face.

Principle 5: Consumer Protection accepts responsibility to refer Aboriginal consumers to the relevant agency when a consumer’s complaint outside Consumer Protection’s jurisdiction.

Actively refer all customers, including Aboriginal consumers, for matters outside our jurisdiction to other relevant agencies.

Principle 6: Consumer Protection will distribute information relevant to Aboriginal people that is provided by other national consumer agencies, including the Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) and the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). We will actively seek out opportunities to work with other agencies in the development and/or distribution of information relevant to Aboriginal Australian consumers.

Consumer Protection will continue to work in partnership with external stakeholders, such as tenant advocates, legal advocates, consumer advocates and housing providers in developing low literacy publications on renting in WA. Consumer Protection will also continue to participate in the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy (NICS) group to work with their national colleagues.

Principle 7: Consumer Protection will continue to release new and updated resources as part of its overall community education and engagement plan. These resources are always being reassessed to ensure their design and content meets the needs of Aboriginal consumers. In addition, Consumer Protection will continue, subject to budget considerations, to support the joint production and distribution of resources with other government and non-government partners.

Please refer to comments at commitments 2 and 6.

Principle 8: Consumer Protection will continue to develop new means of making its resources available to the Aboriginal community of WA. These means will include expanding the network of distribution points, with a focus on regional Western Australia, and the use of the regional Community Resource Centres and the public library network.

Consumer Protection continues to nurture relationships with local community advocates who assist with the distribution of information.

Principle 9: Consumer Protection will continue to enhance its presence at community events and will, in particular, look to expand its participation in events relevant to Aboriginal people.

Consumer Protection continues to increase its outreach and engagement by attending Aboriginal community events, including NAIDOC and Reconciliation Week celebrations.

Principle 10: Consumer Protection will continue to explore new ways of utilising the media to share both general and specific consumer messages to Aboriginal consumers.

Consumer Protection continues to produce press and radio segments for Aboriginal radio including regional radio campaigns aimed at Aboriginal consumers in the north of WA.

Principle 11: Consumer Protection continues to expand the range of meetings with Aboriginal community service providers in both metropolitan and regional Western Australia with a focus on Aboriginal seniors and youth.

Consumer Protection continues to deliver community meetings with Aboriginal service providers throughout the State.

Principle 12: Consumer Protection will promote the use of its Contact Centre to Aboriginal people as a culturally appropriate and accessible way to obtain information about basic consumer rights and  responsibilities and how to file a complaint.

Promotional items and publications have been developed which promote the use of the Consumer Protection Contact Centre 1300 30 40 54.

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Last updated 21 Aug 2023

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