Consumer Advisory Committee

The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) acts as the voice of consumers.

The CAC advises the QCA on issues that matter to consumers and on the interests of consumers—particularly the interests of small consumers—where they could be affected, while the QCA performs its responsibilities under the Electricity Act and Gas Supply Act. The CAC also provides important input into QCA decisions, including regulated electricity pricing, administration of the Electricity Distribution Network Code and Gas Distribution Network Code and other issues important to energy customers.

When full retail competition was introduced into Queensland’s energy market, the law required the QCA to establish a Consumer Advisory Committee. The CAC was established in 2007 and its members are seven consumer organisations:

1. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland
2. The Council on the Ageing (COTA)
3. The Energy Users Association of Australia
4. The Financial Counsellors Association of Queensland
5. The Queensland Farmers Federation (represented by Canegrowers)
6. The Queensland Consumers Association
7. The Queensland Council of Social Services.

The CAC operates according to a customer charter, which was approved in April 2007. In preparing this charter, the QCA considered the submissions received in response to the draft charter issued in March 2007.

Documents