Maggie has worked as a Financial Counsellor with The Salvation Army for the past 28 years. She has managed the Moneycare Financial Counselling program, several Emergency Relief sites throughout Sydney and is currently the Regional Doorways Manager for Sydney, Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Orange and Broken Hill.
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- Forum pack: Re-engage and Renew Orange
Forum pack: Re-engage and Renew Orange
As NSW comes out of lockdown, energy affordability will become a pressing issue for many consumers. We’re looking forward to re-engaging with community workers to discuss how we can reach vulnerable communities in a world that has been dramatically altered by the pandemic.
Here is your Re-engage and Renew Forum pack which contains all the information you’ll need to get to know our speakers and connect with us on the day. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Forum.
Date and time
Wednesday 13 October 2021
9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
How to join the Forum
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85655726075
Meeting ID: 856 5572 6075
Passcode: 686742
Connecting with EWON on the day
If you are having any difficulties joining the forum on the day, please email community@ewon.com.au. We will be regularly monitoring this inbox to ensure you get connected as soon as possible.
If you have a question or comments during the Forum, please use the chat function and direct your question to EWON Chat. All questions will be collated and put to the presenters at the appropriate time.
Agenda
| 9.30 | Housekeeping | Helen Ford, Deputy Ombudsman, EWON |
| 9.35 | EWON Update: complaint trends and current issues | Janine Young, Ombudsman, EWON |
| 10.15 | Pandemic, floods and bushfires: building resilience and re-engaging with communities | Shane Fitzsimmons, Resilience NSW Commissioner |
| 10.55 | EAPA in regional NSW | Maggie Ingham, Doorways Regional Manager Sydney Central Area, Salvation Army |
| 11.10 | First Nations experiences in our current climate | Lynda Edwards, Coordinator Financial Capability, Financial Counselling Australia |
| 11.40 | Break | |
| 11.50 | Panel: Energy affordability, disconnection and debt collection |
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| 12.20 | Retailers' response: Energy affordability, debt collection post COVID-19 |
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| 12.35 | You can’t ask that – yes you can | Janine Young, Ombudsman, EWON |
| 12.50 | Final remarks and close | Janine Young, Ombudsman, EWON |
Customer resources
Please see EWON’s customer resources page for additional resources to help you and your clients with energy and water issues. There is a range of factsheets, information on payment assistance, high bills, saving energy and water around the home and what to do if your client has been threatened with disconnection. You can also find information translated into 40 languages.
Our speakers
Janine Young, Ombudsman, EWON
Janine Young was appointed Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW in November 2014, having gained extensive experience providing independent dispute resolution service as the Victorian Public Transport Ombudsman (2010-14) and Deputy Ombudsman at the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) (2003-2010).
Janine is passionate about social justice and ensuring essential services are accessible, especially for those experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, vulnerability. Across her career, Janine has focused on improving social inclusion and community connectedness and delivering innovative, accessible, and equitable services.
Janine is Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association (ANZOA) and a member of Chief Executive Women. Janine holds undergraduate qualifications in Marketing and Management, an MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Janine is also on the Standards Australia QR015, the Committee responsible for reviewing/maintaining the Guidelines for Complaint Handling in Organisations (AS10002).
Shane Fitzsimmons, Resilience NSW Commissioner
Shane Fitzsimmons was appointed as the inaugural Commissioner for Resilience NSW and Deputy Secretary, Emergency Management with the Department of Premier and Cabinet in May 2020. He is currently the chair of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC), the State Recovery Committee (SRC), Board of Commissioners (BOC) and the National Emergency Medal Committee (NEMC). This appointment followed a distinguished career with the NSW Rural Fire Service of over 35 years, serving as both a volunteer and salaried member.
From September 2007 - April 2020 Shane was the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, Chair of the NSW RFS Bushfire Coordinating Committee and the Rural Fire Service Advisory Council.
Additionally, he is a patron of two charities – Kids Xpress and Coffee 4 Kids. Commissioner Fitzsimmons has been awarded the Rural Fire Service Long-Service Medal for more than 30 years, the National Medal in recognition of more than 35 years, and the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM). He has also been acknowledged with a Paul Harris Fellow and a Paul Harris Fellow Sapphire through Rotary Clubs of Berowra and Sydney. He has most recently been announced as the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year, and the Australian Father of the Year 2020 through The Shepherd Centre.
More speakers
Lynda is a descendant of the Wangkumara people of far west NSW and is a passionate advocate for financial inclusion, fairness and financial resilience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.
After spending more than a decade in the finance sector, Lynda joined the consumer advocacy movement. As program manager at CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes, she was involved with several projects that delivered financial literacy and awareness. She also advocated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including in the Do Not Knock campaign and superannuation and funeral insurance products.
Lynda has completed a Diploma of Financial Counselling and has been involved with consultation groups around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander financial literacy, the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council, Indigenous Financial Services Network, Indigenous Financial Resilience Research Project with First Nations Foundation, Australian Council for International Development, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Financial Literacy Forum and the Telstra Indigenous Advisory Committee. She is Co-chair of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman consumer panel and a member of the consumer outcomes group with the Australian Bankers Association.
Kathie commenced as the Executive General Manager of Consumers, Policy and Markets in March 2021 and is based in Brisbane.
Kathie’s priority is focusing on positive consumer outcomes across the energy sector through projects such as the development of a Vulnerability Strategy for the AER and the Better Bills guideline. Kathie oversees teams within the Division that deliver significant policy and market-based outcomes directly and indirectly for energy consumers.
Prior to joining the AER, Kathie held the role of Deputy Director-General of the Energy Division in the QLD Department of Energy and Public Works.
Rory is EWON’s Manager of Policy and Research. He has over twenty years’ experience in the energy market, having worked previously for the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) and, before that, Eraring Energy, one of the NSW governments generation companies. While at EWON his team have made many submissions to government and regulators relating to affordability, including a report last December called Spotlight On: National Energy Affordability Framework.
Rob has been a Financial Counsellor for 13 years. He is currently working with Uniting NSW & ACT as a Financial Counsellor on the National Debt Helpline, that provides information, advice and referrals to callers from NSW on financial and debt issues. Rob is a Board Member of the Financial Counsellors Association of NSW and a member of its Credit Liaison Committee, which addresses systemic issues with creditors on behalf of the sector. He provides peer supervision to six other financial counsellors, which includes casework discussion.
Michael has been with Red Energy's Customer Care team for 10 years and was the Manager of the Customer Care team for five years. He coordinated Red Energy's Bushfire, Farmer's Friend (drought) and Flood campaigns.
Mel is the Customer Advocacy Manager at Origin Energy where she ensures vulnerable customers receive the support they need, so they can continue to turn on their lights and get back on track. With a background in social work, Mel always wanted to make a positive impact in the community. For over 18 years, she has been part of the Origin Energy team, promoting financial inclusion, resilience and providing support for disadvantaged people.
Guru has lived in Australia for 13 years and has worked with AGL for 11 years. Starting as a customer service consultant helped him form a strong foundation around customer needs and challenges.
Guru is currently working as AGL’s Affordability Manager and is passionate about designing and delivering strategic objectives to effectively engage and assist customers.
