FCVic’s submission to Financial Counselling Australia’s consultation on Setting a baseline to capture unmet demand highlights key concerns from Victorian financial counselling agencies. The paper examines the limitations of the proposed three-point data model, risks of misrepresenting demand, and the need for governance, privacy safeguards, and practical feasibility. FCVic advocates for a collaborative, needs-based approach to accurately reflect service complexity and strengthen sector advocacy for sustainable funding.

The FCVic State Budget Submission for 2026–27 calls for a bold, long-term investment to address Victoria’s deepening cost-of-living crisis. With increasing numbers of Victorians living in significant economic disadvantage, financial counselling is a proven early intervention that prevents homelessness, mitigates family violence, and reduces demand on health, housing, and justice systems. Yet, with only 300 practising financial counsellors statewide, it would take 32 years to meet current need. Incremental funding cannot solve this problem.

Our State Budget Submission outlines a 10-year plan to quadruple investment in financial counselling, grow the workforce by 300%, and embed services within the Victorian Government’s Early Intervention Investment Framework. This strategy would expand access to generalist and specialist supports, including family violence, small business, disaster recovery, gambling harm, and prisons, while delivering measurable returns of $3.70–$5.30 for every dollar invested. By committing $921.7 million over the next decade, the Victorian Government can unlock up to $4.88 billion in economic and social benefits, protect families, and strengthen community resilience.

FCVic has submitted feedback on VicGrid’s draft Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines, calling for stronger consumer protections for regional landholders impacted by renewable energy projects. The submission highlights risks from rising insurance costs and inadequate coverage for properties near wind and solar farms. FCVic recommends long-term liability safeguards, independent risk assessments, and contract provisions such as time-limited waivers of subrogation to ensure fairness and security for communities already under financial strain.

Financial Counselling Victoria (FCVic) has responded to the Australian Government’s exposure draft regulations on mandating cash acceptance, urging Treasury to address critical gaps that risk excluding vulnerable consumers. The current draft only requires supermarkets and fuel retailers to accept cash for transactions under $500, leaving out other essential sectors and failing to protect people who are older, on low incomes, in rural areas, or experiencing financial hardship or family violence. FCVic calls for a more inclusive and equitable framework that ensures cash remains a viable and safe payment option for all Australians, especially during emergencies or digital outages.

Financial Counselling Victoria has lodged a submission with the Essential Services Commission (ESC) regarding its proposed approval of a billing exception for Greater Western Water (GWW). Our feedback highlights concerns about accountability, consumer harm, and regulatory consistency, and calls for stronger governance reforms, clearer communication standards, and protections for vulnerable customers.

This submission was informed by feedback from financial counsellors across the Essential Services Network, Metro West Network, and Western Regional Network.

Five peak bodies in the financial counselling sector — Financial Counselling Australia, Financial Counsellors ACT, Financial Counsellors Association of Western Australia, Financial Counselling Victoria, and the South Australian Financial Counsellors Association (also covering the NT) — have made a joint submission to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on its proposed principles for taxpayer relief. The submission welcomes the ATO’s review but calls for a significant rework of the draft principles to ensure they are fair, accessible, and trauma-informed. It highlights that current administrative and legislative settings are producing avoidable harm, and that the ATO’s framing of fairness, conditionality, and engagement is out of step with community expectations and international best practice.

The submission recommends alternative principles that better reflect the realities of people experiencing vulnerability, including clearer definitions, more flexible and compassionate processes, and a presumption of good faith. It urges the ATO to adopt the Tax Ombudsman’s principles of good tax administration and to advocate for legislative reform to enable sustainable outcomes. Case studies included in the submission illustrate how rigid processes and poor communication can exacerbate hardship. The sector calls for improved transparency, consistency, and stronger partnerships with community organisations to ensure taxpayer relief reaches those who need it most.