Post thumbnail
The ACCC is seeking views from the aviation industry and other interested parties on Airservices Australia’s draft proposal to increase the prices it charges airlines for its enroute navigation, terminal navigation, and aviation rescue and fire-fighting (ARFF) services.
Submissions are due by 19 January 2024.
Read More Airservice Australia Proposes Price Increases
Post thumbnail
The NSW Government has recently launched the paper NSW Plastics: Next Steps and is seeking feedback on plastic items that:
are frequently littered
release microplastics into the environment
contain harmful chemical additives
are currently or are proposed to be regulated in other states and territories.
Translations of the paper are available online in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Greek, Hindi, Korean and Vietnamese.
Have your say by 4 February 2024.
Read More NSW Plastic Policies Take the Next Step with Consultation
hands, baby, adult-1850223.jpg
Online national retailer Riff Raff Baby Pty Ltd has paid penalties of $132,000 after the ACCC issued it with eight infringement notices for allegedly making false or misleading statements about its comforter toys being safe for sleep from birth.
Riff Raff has also provided the ACCC with a court-enforceable undertaking in which it admits that the advertisements for its sleep aid toys were likely to have breached the Australian Consumer Law.
“Based on these advertisements by Riff Raff, parents and caregivers may have thought that these products are safe for babies to sleep next to in an unsupervised sleep environment, when in fact there are serious safety risks. These types of products can cover a baby’s nose and mouth, which can pose a risk of fatal suffocation,” ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe said.
Read More Riff Raff Penalised Over Alleged False or Misleading Infant Sleep Aid Toys Ads
bucket, color, green-157731.jpg
“Making false statements about a product’s environmental or sustainability qualities can mislead consumers, as well as putting the businesses making genuine claims at a competitive disadvantage.”
“It is important that environmental and sustainability claims by businesses are correct as they are a key influence on consumer choices and what people spend their money on,” Ms Carver said.
Read More ACCC Continues Focus on Greenwashing Claims
scales, law, justice-303434.jpg
“There are a number of gaps in the consumer law when it comes to protecting people from unfair business practices. These gaps leave consumers in Australia vulnerable to all kinds of unfair treatment,” says CHOICE senior policy and campaigns adviser Alex Söderlund.
CPRC CEO Erin Turner says Australian consumers deserve better.
“Australians are missing out on protections that consumers in other countries have benefited from for decades. We need laws to effectively call out and restrict unfair practices. These laws will mean businesses have to treat you with respect and care.”
Read More Make Unfair Illegal – Consumer Groups Call for Strong New Laws to Close Gaps as New Research on Consumer Knowledge Emerges
dna, genetics, science-1020670.jpg
Currently, the Disability Discrimination Act provides an exemption for life insurers to use genomic or genetic test results when underwriting life insurance contracts. Since 2019, an industry-regulated partial-moratorium has been in place that prohibits the use of these tests below certain financial limits.
The government encourages all interested parties to make a submission in response to the consultation paper, which can be found on the Treasury website.
business, success, goals-3695073.jpg
The NASC launched in July as part of an $86.5 million package to crackdown on scams. It represents the most cohesive partnership between government and industry to date to protect against these criminals.
While scam losses are still significant, the report shows a 16% decrease in losses compared to the same quarter last year. It also reveals that losses from investment scams have declined by 6%, and romance scam losses have declined by 28%.
The quarter ended with reported scam losses of $29.8 million in September 2023, the lowest losses reported in a single month since October 2021.
Read More A Promising Start as National Anti-Scam Centre Releases its First Report
WHO'S REALLY THERE?
In the past year, according to figures released by the National Anti Scam Centre (NASC), over 81,000 reports of scams have been made and $92 million stolen. Of those scams, 3 in 4 were impersonation scams where criminals pretended to be someone known and trusted such as a family member, government institution, road toll company or bank. Out of these, bank imitation scams caused the highest monetary losses.
Read More Scams Awareness Week 2023
Inspiring
Future Leaders
The Consumers’ Federation of Australia is happy to announce that applications for our 2024 Mentoring Program our now open!
The CFA Mentoring Program is designed to improve the effectiveness of consumer advocacy and consumer advocacy leadership with focus on mentoring, governance training and peer workshops. Expressions of Interest close on December 15th 2023.
circle, hands, teamwork-312343.jpg
Are you interested in consumer issues and looking to broaden your volunteering and work experience? The Consumers Association of South Australia is the South Australian voice for consumers, representing consumer interests, encouraging the distribution of information on issues affecting consumers, and providing opportunity for discussion of some of the following issues:
Read More Positions Open on Consumers’ Association of South Australia Committee
Law Cases
“It is important that we remain focused on progressing reforms to the Australian Consumer Law to strengthen protections for consumers and small business and improve consumer confidence.”
“The agreed priorities for 2024 build on the important enhancements to consumer protections that have been delivered in 2023, such as strengthening Unfair Contract Term Protections, increasing penalties for breaches of the competition and consumer laws, and establishing the National Anti-Scam Centre.”
Read More Consumer Affairs Ministers Agree on 2024 Priorities
seafood, food, healthy-165220.jpg
Previously, the Consumers’ Federation of Australia has campaigned for changes to current labelling laws for seafood at cafes, restaurants and clubs – advocating for country of origin-specific labelling. Recently, the Albanese government has announced that while there will be changes to seafood country of origin labelling, the labelling will be restricted to differentiating between Australia and overseas.
The below press release from Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Assistant Minister for Trade explains some of the reasoning behind the conversation and the government’s approach.
Read More Seafood Country of Origin Labelling Changes
