Consumer Consultative Committee

Aims of the Committee

The ACCC established the Consumer Consultative Committee (CCC) in 2001 to provide a forum through which consumer protection issues could be considered and addressed collaboratively between consumer representatives and the ACCC.

Members of the CCC provide comment to the ACCC on issues affecting consumers that fall within the scope of the ACCC’s administration of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The CCC also advises the ACCC on consumer research and education projects.

How the Committee works

The CCC meets three times a year and provides comment to the ACCC about:

• issues or market developments impacting consumers that fall within the scope of the ACCC’s administration of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010;
• emerging issues that may be of concern to particular groups of consumers;
• information dissemination strategies to enhance communication with consumers and community and consumer groups; and
• other matters that are relevant to issues as requested by the ACCC.

CCC members work in partnership with other members and the ACCC, to consult and progress key consumer issues that assists the ACCC:

• improve consumer, community understanding of the role of the ACCC;
  
• facilitate consumer and community organisations’ access to administrative processes of the ACCC;
  
• educate consumers/users about their rights and responsibilities in relation to emerging consumer issues;
  
• develop education and information strategies undertaken by the ACCC to assist consumers.

Current membership

Members of the CCC are appointed across a diverse range of consumer representatives and community groups. They include consumer organisations and individuals who have experience dealing with consumer affairs and expert knowledge of the issues affecting Australian consumers.

To ensure that the CCC reflects a diversity of representation, CCC members are appointed for a term of approximately two years. Membership is changed over time to ensure that a broad range of organisations have the opportunity to participate.

There are currently 10 members of the CCC. These members are:

1. Australian Communications Consumer Action Network 
2. Australian Council on the Ageing
3. Financial Counselling Australia
4. Brotherhood of St Laurence
5. CHOICE
6. Consumer Action Law Centre
7. Credit, Commercial and Consumer Law Program. Queensland University of Technology
8. Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network
9. Public Interest Advocacy Centre
10. Adult Multicultural Education Service