Vinnies NSW Policy and Research
NSW Retail Electricity Tariff Reforms
2 February 2026
The Justice and Equity Centre (JEC), Council on the Ageing (COTA) NSW, and St Vincent de Paul Society NSW (Vinnies NSW) welcome the opportunity to respond to the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’ (DCCEEW) Retail electricity tariff reforms consultation paper.
Our organisations welcome the NSW Government’s commitment to “boosting consumer rights and protections” through its Consumer Energy Strategy. We consider retail electricity tariff and pricing reform a key part of this agenda.
Serving our communities now and for the future - NSW 2026-27 Pre Budget Submission
January 2026
The 2026 NSW Budget is an opportunity to strengthen essential services, remove access barriers, and invest in community organisations that deliver support efficiently and compassionately. Organisations like the Society NSW provide these supports more efficiently and at lower cost than government services, therefore offering cost savings over time. Our recommendations do not call for new or experimental programs. They build on existing, effective NSW Government initiatives and aim to make them work better for the people who need them most.
Submission to NSW Social Programs for Energy consultation
12 December 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre (JEC), Council on the Ageing NSW, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW, NSW Council of Social Service, the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN), Sydney Community Forum, Tenants’ Union of NSW and St Vincent de Paul Society NSW welcome the opportunity to respond to the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) consultation of the Social Programs for Energy (Core Programs) Code (the Code).
Equitable Transition: How the NSW Government Can Better Support Lower Income Households Challenged by Energy Prices
November 2025
Making energy rebates more targeted and hardship and crisis supports easier to access is critical to ensuring that no household is left behind in the transition to net zero. Complementary to this is improving the energy efficiency of households that are least able to achieve this.
A new Strategy for Mental Health and Wellbeing in NSW
26 August 2025
The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW (Society NSW) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on a new Strategy for Mental Health and Wellbeing in NSW. A significant proportion of the people we assist are affected by mental health concerns and this submission is informed by the work of our frontline staff from homelessness, health, disability and inclusion services, as well as the support delivered by members and volunteers to people experiencing hardship
Joint Letter to Energy Minister - Ensuring NSW energy rebates effectively support affordability
15 August 2025
Our organisations are concerned about recent decisions to reduce energy rebate amounts and reduce the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) cap supporting energy affordability for NSW households. While we understand the NSW Government budget must respond to a range of priorities, effective support for household energy affordability is particularly critical at this time.
Joint Submission Improving application of concessions to bills draft determination
14 August 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre, Australian Council of Social Service, ACT Council of Social Service, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Financial Counsellors Association of NSW, People with Disability Australia, Queensland Council of Social Service, South Australian Council of Social Service and St Vincent de Paul Society NSW welcome the opportunity to respond to the AEMC’s Draft Determination on Improving the application of concessions to bills.
July 2025
The NSW Government must commit to reinstate the evidence requirements for landlords seeking to evict a tenant due to significant repairs or renovations, and restore trust in the tenancy reform process. The signatories to this statement, including the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, are very concerned that the NSW government removed the additional evidence requirements without further consultation less than 5 weeks after implementing the important reforms to evictions.
Gas Distribution networks: Connection and permanent abolishment charges
10 July 2025
The Society NSW welcomes the opportunity to provide a short submission a) supporting the Energy Consumer Australia’s proposal for charging customers upfront for a new gas connection and b) establishing a regulatory framework for temporary disconnections and permanent abolishment.
Joint submission on Improving the ability to switch to a better offer: Draft Determination
July 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre led a joint consumer and community response to the AEMC’s Draft Determination for the Improving the ability to switch to a better offer rule change. The submission was co-signed by the ACT Council of Social Service, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW, People with Disability Australia and the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
Joint submission to the AER Exemptions framework, additional consultation
7 July 2025
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Sydney Community Forum, Tenants’ Union of NSW (TUNSW) and Uniting Vic Tas welcome the opportunity to make a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) Review of the exemptions framework for embedded networks’. This joint submission aims to ensure changes to energy rules strengthens consumer energy protections for people who live in what are known as ‘embedded networks’. Embedded networks are electricity systems where a landlord/owner (a private network) has a direct contractual relationship with an energy retailer and on-sells electricity to customers, who pay an estimated bill to the landlord (e.g. includes caravan parks, apartments, strata, retirement villages). Embedded network customers do not have the same consumer protections as direct customers. The changes proposed form part of a suite of changes that will protect and support those in our communities who are most vulnerable to high energy price rises and the transition to renewable energy.”
‘Drug Summit consensus was clear – we need the NSW Government to implement its recommendations’: A Joint Statement from leading NSW social service organisations
30 June 2025
A joint statement from St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Uniting NSW.ACT, The Salvation Army, Wesley Mission, Wayside Chapel and NCOSS calling on the NSW Government to implement the recommendations of the NSW Drug Summit.
Letter to standing committee into proposed reforms to liability and entitlements for psychological injury in New South Wales
May 2025
The Society NSW acknowledges that the current system was not built to respond to the complexity of psychological injury, and we commend the NSW Government for taking steps to modernise it. At the same time, we must ensure that the reform delivers a fair and workable system—one that supports people experiencing psychological injury, while remaining viable for employers and the broader workers’ compensation scheme.
Joint Submission on assisting hardship customers
May 2025
The Society NSW contributed to the Justice and Equity Centre's joint submission, alongside other members, on assisting hardship customers related to the National Energy Retail Amendment. Households experiencing payment difficulty are often materially impacted because they are not on the best available deal from their retailer. We highlight the detailed input and evidence provided in our response to the consultation paper, and reiterate the necessity and urgency of making substantial reform to resolving this issue and improve outcomes for people experiencing energy payment difficulty.
Joint Submission to the AEMC Improving the Ability to Switch to a Better Offer Rule Change Consultation Paper
March 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre, Australian Council of Social Service, Sydney Community Forum, Consumer Action Legal Centre, People with Disability Australia, Financial Counsellors Association of NSW, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Queensland Council of Social Service and Australian Capital Territory Council of Social Service welcome the opportunity to respond to the AEMC’s consultation paper on Improving the ability to switch to a better offer: rule change proposal. We strongly support comprehensive reform to the National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) intended to reshape the retail market and materially improve outcomes for all consumers.
Joint Submission to the AEMC Improving the application of concessions to bills consultation paper
March 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre, Sydney Community Forum, Consumer Action Legal Centre, People with Disability Australia, Financial Counsellors Association of NSW, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Queensland Council of Social Service and Australian Capital Territory Council of Social Service welcome the opportunity to respond to the AEMC’s consultation paper on Improving the application of concessions to bills: rule change proposal. We strongly support comprehensive reforms to the National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) intended to reshape the retail market and materially improve outcomes for all consumers.
Submission to the Modern Slavery Committee Inquiry
February 2025
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW (the Society NSW) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Modern Slavery Committee’s Inquiry on the modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional New South Wales (the Inquiry). All people residing in Australia should be treated with dignity, afforded the same human rights, and granted access to help when needed, especially if they find themselves in unpredictable and precarious situations.
Submission on the NSW Homelessness Strategy & Action Plan
February 2025
The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW welcomes the opportunity to provide comment on the NSW Government’s NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035 (Strategy) and how best to achieve better outcomes for people at risk of and those experiencing homelessness.
January 2025
The Justice and Equity Centre coordinated a joint consumer and community advocate response to the AEMC’s National Energy Retail Amendment (Assisting Hardship Customers) Rule Change proposal. The submission was co-signed by ACOSS, Vinnies NSW, Sydney Community Forum and the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW. The proposed rule change seeks to find a solution to the problem that many customers in energy hardship program are not on the deemed best offer of their retailer, resulting in customers paying more than is necessary and often accumulating more debt than is necessary.