Consumers in the Territory are supposed to be protected by various agencies funded by government.
‘A Fair Lifestyle’ is what Consumer Affairs is supposed to be all about; a fair go for all, consumers and traders. The aim is to educate traders and consumers about their rights and responsibilities as defined in legislation, such as the National Australian Consumer Law and the NT’s Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act. If Consumer Affairs is supposed to encourage business to act honestly, then why does it refuse to act against a cartel of petrol stations that all charge ridiculous prices.
The Utility Commission is supposed to ensure that the PowerWater Corporation (a Government owned enterprise) does not abuse its monopoly position and justifies all increases in utility costs. But impotence reigns when the Government instructs it to increase charges based upon the necessity to ‘rectify the previous Governments debt position’.
The Local Government minister’s role is to supervise council activities so that ratepayers can be secure in the knowledge that the council is acting in their best interests. The role of a member of a council is to represent the interests of all residents and ratepayers of the council area. Unfortunately the minister is ignorant of what’s happening in council and the representatives, because they know no better, tend to support the council employees against the ratepayers.
The cost of housing and, as a direct result, rent, is largely due to the Unimproved Capital Value calculated every three years by a Government appointee of the Justice Department. The definition under the Act is “the capital sum which the fee simple of the land might be expected to realize if offered for sale”. Therefore the land, independent of the cost of subdivision, immediately assumes the same value as all the other property in the vicinity.
Competition exists between builders which keeps the cost of construction reasonable, however Crown land is sold at a purchase price determined by the minister having regard to the current market value as assessed by the Valuer-General. Therefore, because the UCV is an arbitrary figure set by a public servant, there is no competition in the cost of new blocks; the Government has a monopoly and reaps windfall profits in both sale to developers and stamp duty. The only way for property prices to remain stable is for the Government to instruct the Valuer General to place a moratorium on increased UCV’s.
Lastly, from time to time, circumstances arise where, even though consumers would benefit from action against a trader, they are powerless to do so because;
The best way to demand consumer rights is to join together: independent of Government, regulation and subjugation by big business. Join the Consumer Action Network and stand shoulder to shoulder in the Eureka tradition to work with your mates to achieve a fair go! Simply email: [email protected] for more details.
‘A Fair Lifestyle’ is what Consumer Affairs is supposed to be all about; a fair go for all, consumers and traders. The aim is to educate traders and consumers about their rights and responsibilities as defined in legislation, such as the National Australian Consumer Law and the NT’s Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Act. If Consumer Affairs is supposed to encourage business to act honestly, then why does it refuse to act against a cartel of petrol stations that all charge ridiculous prices.
The Utility Commission is supposed to ensure that the PowerWater Corporation (a Government owned enterprise) does not abuse its monopoly position and justifies all increases in utility costs. But impotence reigns when the Government instructs it to increase charges based upon the necessity to ‘rectify the previous Governments debt position’.
The Local Government minister’s role is to supervise council activities so that ratepayers can be secure in the knowledge that the council is acting in their best interests. The role of a member of a council is to represent the interests of all residents and ratepayers of the council area. Unfortunately the minister is ignorant of what’s happening in council and the representatives, because they know no better, tend to support the council employees against the ratepayers.
The cost of housing and, as a direct result, rent, is largely due to the Unimproved Capital Value calculated every three years by a Government appointee of the Justice Department. The definition under the Act is “the capital sum which the fee simple of the land might be expected to realize if offered for sale”. Therefore the land, independent of the cost of subdivision, immediately assumes the same value as all the other property in the vicinity.
Competition exists between builders which keeps the cost of construction reasonable, however Crown land is sold at a purchase price determined by the minister having regard to the current market value as assessed by the Valuer-General. Therefore, because the UCV is an arbitrary figure set by a public servant, there is no competition in the cost of new blocks; the Government has a monopoly and reaps windfall profits in both sale to developers and stamp duty. The only way for property prices to remain stable is for the Government to instruct the Valuer General to place a moratorium on increased UCV’s.
Lastly, from time to time, circumstances arise where, even though consumers would benefit from action against a trader, they are powerless to do so because;
- the service providers are either Government business enterprises or indeed the Government itself;
- the companies involved are oligopolies (they control 85% of the market) and there is nowhere else to go;
- individuals cannot afford to litigate, even though the trader is engaged in obviously illegal actions;
The best way to demand consumer rights is to join together: independent of Government, regulation and subjugation by big business. Join the Consumer Action Network and stand shoulder to shoulder in the Eureka tradition to work with your mates to achieve a fair go! Simply email: [email protected] for more details.