News and Events

Western Sydney is technically in recession and will struggle to recover from the recent lockdowns, new data suggests. Samantha Lee says over-policing and tough LGA restrictions have contributed to layers of inequality.

Consumer advocates say they have many concerns over proposed updates to the Life Insurance Code of Practice in a joint submission to the Financial Services Council (FSC).

Data obtained by RLC reveals that the majority of people issued with a $1000 COVID-19 fine in NSW have not paid, or can’t afford to pay, leading to calls for a means-tested system and review of police conduct. Anna Patty reports for the Sydney Morning Herald.

The banking association is calling on government to provide greater clarity on the application of the best interests duty expansion.

The proposal to overhaul responsible lending obligations has been met with mixed reaction, with many welcoming its ability to speed up the flow of credit while others have warned against potential harm to consumers. Annie Kane reports for Mortgage Business

The banking industry has backed the Morrison government’s proposed changes to responsible lending laws, putting it on a collision course with nine consumer groups which have jointly signed a scathing review of the controversial reforms. Richard Gluyas reports for the Australian

New figures released by the Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) via freedom of information laws revealed that in the past year, NSW Police have continued to strip search dozens of children. This is despite public demands to cease and desist, and three official inquiries in late 2019 condemning the practice. Alec Smart reports for Sydney Sentinel.

In the past year, NSW police officers have strip-searched 96 children and more than 20 percent of them were Indigenous.

Despite everything else this year has thrown at us, it seems the controversial strip-searching of children by New South Wales’ police continues unabated. As The Guardian’s Michael McGowan has noted, 96 have been searched in 2020, with some as young as eleven.

Community groups are mounting a combined push for more social and affordable housing for Aboriginal people in inner Sydney, as a wave of development and rise in property prices scatter the area's once-thriving population. Megan Gorrey reports for the Sydney Morning Herald