Reports and Submissions
Read the latest reports and submissions from FCVic on a range of topics significant to financial counsellors, consumer advocates and the wider community.
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Submission to the 2024/25 Victorian State Budget
- Published: 4 December 2023
Financial Counselling Victoria is pleased to present our submission to the 2024/25 Victorian State Budget.
Our strategic recommendations for the 2024/25 Victorian State Budget aim to:
- strengthen the financial counselling sector’s sustainability,
- enhance service integration across diverse sectors, and
- improve access to financial counselling for vulnerable cohorts.
Notably, these recommendations envision a future where early interventions and coordinated efforts lead to reduced financial stress and improved outcomes for all Victorians.
Submission to the House Standing Committee on Economics Inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims
- Published: 31 October 2023
- Topics: Disaster Recovery, Insurance
On behalf of our members, FCVic was pleased to provide a submission to the Federal government’s Parliamentary inquiry into insurer responses to the 2022 floods.
FCVic has drawn on the experiences of financial counsellors supporting flood-affected communities, who are ensuring that residents access and receive financial support entitlements vital to ongoing recovery, including fair and reasonable outcomes to their insurance claims. The submission aims to highlight the breadth of insurance-related issues encountered by financial counsellors, which have caused significant detriment and additional trauma to their clients following their experiences of the flood events. We would like to extend our thanks to the financial counsellors in disaster recovery areas who have contributed.
FCVic Annual Report 2022-23
- Published: 11 October 2023
Read the FCVic Annual Report for 2022-23
Submission to the Attorney-General’s Department Personal Insolvency Discussion Paper
- Published: 28 September 2023
- Topics: Bankruptcy, Debt Agreements and Insolvency
FCVic has made a submission to the Attorney-General’s Department Personal Insolvency Discussion Paper.
Victorian financial counsellors support many debtors through all stages on the bankruptcy and debt agreement process. They have experience and knowledge of both the advantages and issues with the system, particularly from the perspective of vulnerable debtors who have sought financial counselling assistance at a very stressful time.
In preparing this submission, FCVic has consulted with the members of its Bankruptcy Working Group, which comprises practitioners with a high level of experience in the subject matters raised in the discussion paper. FCVic believes that there is a place for bankruptcies and debt agreements that are reasonable, fair and equitable to debtors. However, financial counsellors see many cases where the processes are used by some creditors or debt administration businesses to either unfairly pressure debtors or as a source of fees for administrators.
Submission to the Review of Victoria’s Pre-Commitment and carded play
- Published: 20 September 2023
- Topics: Gambling related harm
FCVic has a made a submission to the Review of Victoria’s pre-commitment and card play consultation process.
Financial counsellors work with people experiencing gambling harm. They understand the distress and devasting impact gambling harm has on individuals, families, workplaces, and communities. Financial counsellors regularly hear stories of persons experiencing gambling harm who are encouraged to gamble for long periods of time, spending money that they cannot afford to lose.
The opportunity to introduce a meaningful and responsive pre-commitment and carded play program to Victoria is one that we welcome and have been advocating for since Gambler’s Help programs were introduced. Continual development of our understanding of what gambling harm is, and how we can better look after individuals and communities who experience gambling harm must be prioritised over profit margins and business growth for gambling providers.
Submission to the Review of Victoria’s Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct for wagering and bookmakers, Keno, bingo centres, raffles and lotteries
- Published: 17 September 2023
- Topics: Gambling related harm
FCVic has made a submission to the Review of Victoria’s Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct for wagering and bookmakers, Keno, bingo centres, raffles and lotteries.
Financial counsellors work with people experiencing gambling harm. They regularly hear stories of predatory behaviour by gambling providers, including inducements to gamble, incentives to continue to gamble, no interventions for people displaying signs of gambling harm, and little concern when a person is experiencing gambling harm.
The Responsible Gambling Codes of Conduct must do more to acknowledge gambling harm and the clear evidence that gambling causes harm. Comprehensive and ongoing staff training is critical to ensure that the potential harm is well understood and able to be prevented or minimised. There is a need for more thorough investigations into reported Code breaches, and stronger penalties for gambling providers who breach of the Code. Publishing the relevant penalties within the Codes is one measure to deter non-compliance.
We must also focus our attention on the next generation of people experiencing gambling harm. We need action, intervention and strong guidance to ensure minors are not enticed into gambling.
The banning of gambling advertising, inducements and incentives will reduce the risks of gambling harm on our community. The evidence around gambling advertising is clear – it is damaging.