Background
AFSA has established a Consumer Consultative Panel for consumer and community organisations to discuss and provide advice directly to AFSA about the personal insolvency and personal property securities systems and the needs of the people who use them.
Panel members provide comment on:
- emerging issues or market developments affecting people in the financial environment
- issues of concern, including market practices, particularly with regard to consumers experiencing financial distress, disadvantage and/or vulnerability
- education and information needs and strategies
- feedback on AFSA initiatives
- strategies to improve how AFSA communicates its role and the systems it maintains, to consumers.
The panel will be convened by AFSA's Chief Executive. Mr Peter Kell has been appointed as the External Chair to facilitate the meetings. Mr Kell is a former deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Please refer to the panel's Terms of Reference for more information.
Current membership
Members are appointed across a range of community groups and consumer representatives. They include organisations with experience in frontline support services, including financial counselling and education, research and advocacy and/or the protection of people experiencing or facing financial distress.
To ensure that the panel reflects a diverse cross-section of the community, membership will change over time to ensure that a broad range of organisations have the opportunity to participate.
Twelve organisations have been appointed as members for 2025 and 2026:
- Consumer Action Law Centre
- Consumer Credit Legal Service
- Financial Counselling Australia
- Financial Counselling Association of NSW
- First Nations Foundation
- Financial Rights Legal Centre
- Mob Strong Debt Help
- Monash University Centre for Youth
- National Seniors Australia
- Salvation Army
- Uniting Vic.Tas
- UNSW Tax Clinic.