The Consumer Advocacy and Research Fund

The Consumer Advocacy and Research Fund (CARF), established under the Water Industry Act 2012, provides annual funding of $250,000 (indexed for inflation each year) to support:

research or advocacy that promotes the interests of consumers with a disability, low-income consumers, or consumers who are located within a regional area of the State; and
projects that advance the interests of consumers from an advocacy perspective.

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) administers the CARF on behalf of the Minister for Environment and Water. Previously the fund was administered by the Department for Human Services.

The 2024 CARF Grant funding round is now open to applications.

For further information and to apply for funding, see the CARF Grant Program Guidelines and CARF Grant Program Application Form.

Applications close on Friday, 10 May 2024 at 5pm.

For further information contact:

Consumer Advocacy and Research Fund

Department for Environment and Water

Level 5, 81-95 Waymouth Street, Adelaide

GPO Box 1047, Adelaide SA 5001

Telephone: (08) 8463 6247

Email: DEW.CARF@sa.gov.au

Projects that have received CARF funding since its inception in 2012 are listed below.

Projects funded through the Consumer Advocacy and Research Fund


2013-2014
Name of Project
Sponsorship of SACOSS Hardship and Affordability Conference	SACOSS
Water Advocacy Research Project	KPMG
Best Practice Consumer Interaction Project	KPMG
2014-2015
Sponsorship of SACOSS Hardship and Affordability Conference	SACOSS
SA Water Price Determination and Vulnerable Water Customers. Advocacy work relating to SA Water’s proposed expenditure over 2016-20 within the ESCOSA SA Water Regulatory Determination 2016: Briefing paper to benchmark SA Water performance Submission to ESCOSA on SA Water's Regulatory Business Proposal 2016-20 Independent advice on SA Water Cost of Debt and Employment Cost proposals	SACOSS
2015-2016
Enhancing Consumer Sector Engagement in SA Water Regulatory Determination Project. Advocacy work to enhance consumer sector engagement with SA Water’s proposed expenditure over 2016-20 within the Essential Services Commission of South Australia’s SA Water Regulatory Determination 2016. Technical advice from Beca Party Ltd Technical advice from the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies joint COTA SA, SAFCA and Consumers SA submission (link is external) on ESCOSA’s Draft Determination of SA Water’s Regulatory Business Proposal 2016 – 2020	SACOSS
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program + CARF Coordination Includes the following outputs: Issues facing South Australian water customers	SACOSS
2016-2017
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program + CARF Coordination Includes the following outputs: SACES Report: The Value Placed by Consumers on Price Stability for Regulated Utilities	SACOSS
Minor and Intermediate Retailers Research and Advocacy Project Final report	SAFCA
Consumers with a Disability Project Final report	Julia Farr Purple Orange
Tenants and Water Project: Final report	Uniting Communities
2017-2018
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program + CARF Coordination Includes the following research reports: Restricted water customer research (link to report) South Australian water concessions: relative values and impact on housing tenure (link to report)	SACOSS
Financial Counselling Guarantee for SA Water Customers Project Final report	SAFCA
Multicultural South Australian Water Consumers Project	Colmar Brunton
Supporting Regional Customers in Financial Difficulty Project	Kerri Muller NRM
Achieving Water Security for Sustainable Farming Families and Communities Project Final report	UniSA
Sponsorship of SACOSS Essential Services and Consumers Living w/ a Disability Conference	SACOSS
2018-2019
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program + CARF Coordination	SACOSS
Multicultural South Australian Water Consumers Project	Colmar Brunton
Supporting Regional Customers in Financial Difficulty Project	Kerri Muller NRM
Achieving Water Security for Sustainable Farming Families and Communities Project	UniSA
SA Government Water Pricing Inquiry (Consumer Voice Project): Submission to Independent State Water Pricing Inquiry - A Cautious Conclusion Submission to Independent State Water Pricing Inquiry - Balanced Bargain	Business SA
2019-2020
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program + CARF Coordination Includes the following research reports: Towards Equitable Access to Clean Water and Sanitation for All South Australians: SACOSS Discussion Paper	SACOSS
Supporting Regional Customers in Financial Difficulty Project	Kerri Muller NRM
SA Water Regulatory Determination Project: Submission to SA Water's Draft Regulatory Business Proposal Submission to ESCOSA's Draft SA Water Regulatory Determination 2020	Business SA
Uniting Communities - Pricing and Tariff Structures: Submission to SA Water's Draft Regulatory Business Proposal Submission to ECOSA'sDraft SA Water Regulatory Determination 2020	Uniting Communities
Conservation Council - SA Water Proposal : Submission to SA Water's Draft Regulatory Business Proposal Water for Greening in Metropolitan Adelaide	Conservation Council SA
2020-2021
Ongoing Research and Advocacy Program Includes the following research reports: Falling through the gaps: A practical approach to improving drinking water services for regional and remote communities in South Australia	SACOSS
2021-2022
Ongoing research and advocacy program Basic Level of Service: Settings for long-term water security in remote South Australia	SACOSS
Water Management Workshops	Aboriginal Lands Trust
Implementation of Revised Water Industry Act (2012) – tenants as water customers Left out to dry: the future of equitable water billing in South Australia Issues Paper, June 2022 Final Recommendations Report, July 2022	Uniting Communities
2022-2023
Research and advocacy support	SACOSS
Understanding Water Use and Needs of Older People in Regional South Australia	Council on the Ageing South Australia
Engagement with and Responses to SA Water RD24 Process SA Customer Priorities Statement	Uniting Communities
2023-2024
Research and advocacy support	SACOSS
Co-designing a water resource development and decision-making framework for remote Aboriginal communities in South Australia	Kerri Muller NRM