Bulletin

Issue: August 2005

People

Dual role for consumer advocate

Leading Australian consumer advocate, La Trobe University Adjunct Professor of Law, Chris Field, has taken up a Western Australian Government appointment to that State's Economic Regulation Authority.

As a member of the new independent regulator of WA's gas, electricity and rail industries, he will put into practice his commitment to the value of independent regulation of markets.

'Independent regulation serves the long-term interests of consumers,' he says.

A La Trobe Arts/Law Honours graduate, he was the Executive Director of the Consumer Law Centre Victoria and national media commentator on consumer issues. The Centre established Victoria's largest free consumer legal practice to help low income earners. It also raised more than two million dollars for consumer research, policy development, projects and public advocacy of major consumer issues.

Professor Field has also served for the last four years as Chairman of the Australian Consumers' Association and is a Director of both the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria and the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre. One of the original La Trobe Law degree graduates in 1995, he says he looks forward to developing his role with the University following his appointment last year as Adjunct Professor of Law.

'The WA appointment is a half-time post, and my work at La Trobe University to prepare today's students to be tomorrow's public interest advocates is something to which I am deeply committed.'