Energy Ministers recognise the need for a more efficient approach to national advocacy for all energy consumers. On 31May 2013, the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER) agreed in principle to establish a national energy consumer advocacy body, nominally called the Australian Energy Consumers Organisation (AECO), to be established by 1July 2014.
On 21 June 2013, the SCER Energy Market Reform Working Group (EMRWG) agreed to engage a consumer liaison representative to provide a focal point for stakeholders during the development of the implementation plan to guide the establishment of AECO. EMRWG sought nominations for the position on 27 June 2013 via an EMWRG Bulletin. Following assessment of the nominations two nominees were ranked as most suitable for the position against the selection criteria.
EMRWG is pleased to announce the engagement of MsFiona McLeod and Ms Catriona Lowe as joint consumer liaison representatives during the establishment of AECO.
The liaison representatives will undertake the role as a job share arrangement and will liaise with stakeholders during the development of AECO. They will facilitate engagement between energy officials and energy consumer advocacy bodies, including presenting energy consumers' views on the implementation plan and establishment of AECO and communicating the progress of work being undertaken by energy officials to existing energy consumer advocacy bodies.
The liaison representatives will be working to the following timeline:
· Commence mid August 2013
· Stakeholder consultation from August 2013
· Engagement concludes 31 December 2013, with an option for an extension to 30 June 2014.
To contact the consumer liaison representatives regarding the implementation plan for the establishment of AECO, please email Ms McLeod or Ms Lowe via .
Energy Market Reform Working Group
12 August 2013
The Consumer Liaison Representatives
Ms Fiona McLeod FAICD
Ms Fiona McLeod has over 20 years' experience on Boards and Committees, and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). She is a skilled and experienced CEO and independent consultant to government, having transitioned to a non-executive directorship career in January 2012. Ms McLeod continues to hold a range of Board, agency, association and trustee roles in both the private and public sectors, at the state and national level.
As Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) for 17 years (1995-2012), Ms McLeod has strong links within the energy sector, having assessed the customer service and regulatory compliance performance of some of Australia’s largest listed and unlisted companies. She also played a crucial role in developing a proposal for the establishment of a national energy advocacy organisation with a range of consumer advocacy bodies.
Ms Catriona Lowe
Ms Catriona Lowe is an experienced consumer representative who served as Co-CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre from 2006-2013, where she undertook extensive media, high-level liaison, lobbying and policy work, including in the energy sector. She is currently Chair of the Consumers' Federation of Australia, Director (Consumer) of the Financial Ombudsman Service and Co-Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Consumer Consultative Committee.
Ms Lowe's extensive consumer representative experience also includes preparing a submission to the Energy Competition Committee (ECC) on behalf of the Queensland Consumers' Association, serving as Director of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and sitting on the Energy and Water Ombudsman's Case Handling Advisory Committee.