Fair Trading Minister Linda Burney opened the first meeting of a new Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) Aboriginal Consultative Forum, convened to make the Tribunal more accessible to Aboriginal communities across the state at Parliament House today.

“This meeting marks another important milestone in the partnership between Aboriginal people and the CTTT,” Ms Burney said. 

“The new forum members have the important role of advising the CTTT on service delivery to Aboriginal communities and organisations and helping produce educational materials that are more culturally appropriate.

“The members represent Aboriginal communities from around NSW and their collective knowledge about the needs of these communities is significant.”

“One of the first key items on the Forum agenda is the development of a draft Aboriginal strategy to guide the CTTT’s initiatives for the next three years.”

The strategy will include new information products to promote greater awareness of the services available to help Aboriginal people resolve their consumer disputes.

“I look forward to following the Forum’s progress and seeing the benefits it delivers to Aboriginal organisations and Aboriginal people who access CTTT services.”

The Tribunal was set up in 2002 as an independent body to hear disputes about residential tenancies, retail transactions, motor vehicle purchase and repair, credit matters, home building, strata and community schemes, residential parks and retirement villages. It receives more than 64,000 applications each year. The majority of disputes are resolved within one month and about 70 per cent are resolved within 35 days of lodging applications.

Key Aboriginal organisations involved include:

• Aboriginal Housing Office
• Murra Mia Tenant Advocacy Service (Batemans Bay)
• Bungree Aboriginal Association Inc (Toukley)
• Dtarawarra Aboriginal Resource Unit
• Anaiwan Local Aboriginal Land Council (Tingha) 
• NSW Aboriginal Land Council (Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Regions)
• Aboriginal Legal Services
• Department of Aboriginal Affairs
• Office of Fair Trading.

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