Media Release Anti-Discrimination Board Mou with Fair Trading

1 September 2015

MEDIA RELEASE

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BOARD MOU WITH FAIR TRADING

An Aboriginal woman phones a real estate agent, who says that there are properties available in her price range. When she goes to the office in person, she is told that there is nothing available. Her Caucasian friend goes to the office the same day and is offered several properties.

Having heard many such cases, the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW has signed a memorandum of understanding with the NSW Office of Fair Trading which will enable the two bodies to more actively address discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the real estate industry.

The Board originally began working with Fair Trading following the release of the Government’s Fair Trading Policy to tackle discrimination in Aboriginal tenancies in 1999. Board staff have worked with their counterparts in Fair Trading to provide training for real estate agents and self-managing landlords, and collaborated in the Good Service Mob, which provides general consumer information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities.

Under the MOU, information from the Board’s enquiries and complaint processes will be used to identify problem areas in terms of discrimination by real estate agents and address these through Fair Trading’s compliance requirements. Individual complaints will not be identified in this process.

Board president Stepan Kerkyasharian signed the MOU with Commissioner for Fair Trading Rod Stowe. “I am confident that the opportunity to work more collaboratively with the Office of Fair Trading will achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people in terms of tenancy issues,” Mr Kerkyasharian said.

Mr Stowe said that he was impressed by the longevity of the existing programs run by the two agencies. “We are now cementing our long-standing relationship and together we will address new challenges that come our way,” he said.

Enquiries Media: Felicity Huntington 0408 028 862 Discrimination and harassment enquiry service: (02) 9268 5544 or 1800 670 812