May advocacy update

Written on the 13 May 2025 by SAFCA

Read all about the advocacy work SAFCA has been involved in, in the past two months. 

Do you have a systemic advocacy issues to submit? Here’s how!
A few years ago, SAFCA opened its Systemic Advocacy Survey – where you tell us the issues you are seeing that have the potential to or currently are causing concern and harm for clients. We have been able to understand the big issues for you and take action where we can. Financial Counselling Australia have also released their Insights Tool which performs a similar function.  FCA will be sharing the state-based data with us from their Tool, and we would like to ask members to follow this pattern when submitting systemic advocacy issues: 

• SAFCA Advocacy Survey: Send issues relating to SA or NT.
• FCA Insights Tool: Send issues relating to a multi-state or national issue.

Are you seeking exposure or promotion for your advocacy efforts, program or project? Talk about it at the 2025 SAFCA Game Changers Conference!
SAFCA are seeking speakers and breakout presenters for our 2025 Conference – Game Changers. We are after topics that highlight home-grown, lived experience and/or hands on skills and align with the financial counselling sector and the conference theme. Advocacy can take so many forms – from research and finding releases, a grant funded project you ran, to engagement with a creditor or a successful ombudsman complaint that has had a wider impact.  Talks can range anywhere form 10 minutes to 1.5 hours, so please consider sending in a submission from your team, service, project, research or innovation today!  Click here.

We Can’t Afford to Wait
SAFCA joined with FCA and other state financial counselling associations for a federal election campaign focussed on: When every dollar counts, so does financial counselling – we can’t afford to wait.  The campaign called for a commitment from all sides of politics to provide increased and more sustainable funding, particularly for face-to-face financial counselling services. Special thanks to SAFCA members Kelly Gulliver, April Hughes, and Bernadette Crane who were videoed for the project and to all of you who supported the project.  We know that people experiencing financial difficulty cannot afford to wait for financial counselling and financial capability services – more funding is required to reduce waiting lists and meet demand for services.
Now that we are on the other side of the federal election we will continue to promote this need with both federal and state governments.

SA Power Networks Vulnerable Customer Group
SAFCA's Project Officer Alex Fry is Vice-Chair of the SA Power Networks' Vulnerable Customer Group. Meeting every three months, this group provides feedback and insights into SAPN's five-yearly regulatory plan (how it operates and what is charges electricity customers for), and ongoing projects to improve energy customer outcomes. It is through this group SAFCA continues to engage with the energy sector to ensure the issues we hear are passed through to the SA network provider, and it also a way to promote the sector and encourage a stronger engagement with financial counsellors.  For example – Matthew from The Salvation Army’s Affordable SA attended and presented at February’s meeting to provide an overview of the online platform and talk about plans for the future. It was well received by members and SAPN staff. 

Jacana Energy
Northern Territory members have recently received an email asking for case studies to be submitted around potentially illegal practices by Jacana Energy. If you have a case study, please email it to SAFCA or contact Alex Fry or Kate Fox to arrange a time to talk about it. 

Rank the Energy Retailer
The Rank the Retailer survey was coordinated by Financial Counselling Victoria in partnership with Energy Consumers Australia, Financial Counselling Australia and Consumer Policy Research Centre, with support from each State and Territory financial counselling peak association.  SAFCA CEO Kate Fox, is on the National Reference Group for this project, with the report due to launch in June this year.  Thanks again to all who contributed their valuable feedback into this process, your insights will help shape advocacy efforts and highlight best practice.

Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS2) review
The South Australian 2021-2025 REPS obligation thresholds and productivity targets were reviewed this year. SAFCA submitted a response to the review, asking for a larger focus on Priority Household Groups, residential households, rural, regional and remote clients and consideration of additional financial or energy advice support for those who need it. You can read our response here. 

SA State Budget Submission
The State Budget Submission has garnered some interest with many Ministers and MP’s thanking SAFCA for sharing the submission with them.  As a result of the submission, Kate Fox also met with Nadia Clancey MP, Member for Elder and also the Premier’s Advocate for Suicide Prevention, an important meeting to discuss the well-researched link between financial wellbeing and mental wellbeing and the work of financial counsellors and financial capability workers.  

Other Advocacy Submissions
SAFCA has signed off on a number of issues and submissions recently, including:

• Signing the Joint Statement to Raise the Rate
• BetStop Review
• Joint Statement re Rental Standards
• Centrepay
• Feedback to DHS on their Draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan.