About CUAC
CUAC is an independent and influential consumer advocacy organisation, established to promote fair, equitable and more balanced regulatory outcomes in the electricity, gas and water industries, with a particular focus on low income, disadvantaged and rural and regional consumers.
CUAC is a public company, limited by guarantee, established under the Corporations Act. The Member of CUAC is the incumbent Minister for Consumer Affairs, who appoints a Board that operates as an independent advocacy organisation. It is wholly funded by the Victorian State Government.
CUAC was founded to ensure the interests of Victorian consumers are effectively represented in the policy and regulatory debate on electricity, gas and water. It has a constitutional mandate to focus particularly on the interests of low income, disadvantaged and rural consumers.
CUAC's corporate objectives are
- to provide a voice for Victorian utility consumers in the regulatory debate
- to increase the capacity of consumers and consumer advocates to influence the regulatory debate, particularly on issues affecting low income, disadvantaged and rural consumers
- to research and to fund research into consumer utility issues, with a particular focus on low income, disadvantaged and rural consumers, and to disseminate that knowledge as widely as possible
- to monitor consumer utility issues, particularly those affecting low income, disadvantaged and rural consumers.
To achieve its role and fulfill its responsibilities CUAC, along with other strategies, manages two important programs to support participation by consumers - the Public Grants Program, and the Rural and Regional Network (RRN).
Grants program. Through its Public Grants Program CUAC initiates and supports research into consumer utility issues. A unique structure of the CUAC Public Grants Program is its mixture of proactive and reactive funding. CUAC proactively commissions and undertakes research and capacity-building projects to meet areas of greatest need and to respond quickly and effectively to issues as they arise. The reactive component provides funding to support research and capacity-building projects from a broad range of community and consumer groups.
Funding is given to projects that are innovative and of demonstrable value to Victorian consumers. Research commissioned or funded by CUAC will be accessible through this website. Grants are distributed regularly, with applications open to all and projects decided by the Board on a case-by-case basis.
Rural and Regional Network (RRN). The RRN informs rural and regional consumers of developments in the policy and regulatory debates regarding gas, electricity and water. Participants receive a newsletter every two months containing detailed information from government, participants and other stakeholders, and email alerts notifying them when reviews are announced, to let them know when there is an opportunity to influence a decision. The RRN aims to
- alert rural and regional consumers about policy and regulatory reviews
- help rural and regional consumers identify and access areas of knowledge and expertise on utilities issues
- feed information from rural and regional consumers into the debate
- assist rural and regional consumers identify opportunities for collaboration with similarly-placed groups.
