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Welcome to the online home of Australia’s National Indigenous Consumer Strategy.

The National Indigenous Consumer Strategy – Taking Action, Gaining Trust - is a five year strategy developed by all of the Australian States and Territories which, together with New Zealand, make up the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs.

The Strategy was released by the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs on 1 September 2005 after a lengthy period of consultation with Indigenous consumers and both non-government and government agencies involved in delivering services to Indigenous consumers.

The development and implementation of the Strategy reflected a recognition by all Australian jurisdictions that more work was required by consumer agencies to:

• improve Indigenous consumers’ knowledge of their rights and obligations under consumer protection laws and achieve greater Indigenous access to consumer protection programs;
• improve the behaviour of traders, through education and compliance activity, to reduce detriment experienced by Indigenous consumers; and
• promote effective engagement and partnership between consumer protection agencies, Indigenous organisations, business and other government agencies to improve consumer outcomes for Indigenous people.

Responsibility for implementing the Strategy rests with each individual jurisdiction and it is recognised that progress in implementing the Strategy will vary according to the different needs of Indigenous consumers in different jurisdictions and the different levels of resources available to the various consumer agencies.

The Northern Territory Department of Justice was the lead agency for the development and introduction of the Strategy. Western Australia’s Department of Commerce is currently the lead agency for the Strategy.

A National Indigenous Consumer Strategy Implementation Reference Group has been established to monitor the implementation of the Strategy and to help ensure that initiatives and experiences in implementing the Strategy are shared between jurisdictions.

This Reference Group is Chaired by Western Australia and includes representatives from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the New South Wales Office of Fair Trading, the Northern Territory Office of Consumer Affairs, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading and the South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs. In addition, the Reference Group membership includes Indigenous lawyer, Ms Robynne Quiggin, and the Queensland-based Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network.

On this web site you will find more information about the detail of the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy and its implementation. You will also be able to access resource materials relevant to the Strategy and follow links to all the participating agencies’ own web sites.

If you have any comments, questions or ideas about the Strategy, please use the contact options provided on this web site and let us know.