Everyday Consumer Archives - Page 55 of 106 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

2 August , 2018

Measurement Law Review should take more account of consumer needs

Submissions by the Queensland Consumers Association and Choice on a recent Discussion Paper on the scope of Australia’s measurement laws, want the current review, and future laws, to: Be more driven by the needs of consumers and society in general and to not be excessively focused on measurement for economic activity and the needs of…

25 July , 2018

ISO Unit Pricing Committee Meet in Japan

The following is an excerpt from an article contributed by John Furbank and Dr Clinton Weeks Many Australian consumers are familiar with and regularly use unit pricing. In Australia Unit Pricing Regulations came into effect in July 2009. However, some unit prices are not easy to read and in other counties there is no unit pricing…

18 July , 2018

Public comment invited on new refrigeration appliance standard

On 14 June 2018, Standards Australia’s draft AS/NZS 4474:2018 Household refrigerating appliances – Energy labelling and minimum energy performance standards requirements standard was published for public comment. This standard embodies several years of work by members of the EL-059 Committee that includes E3 Program representatives and other key stakeholders. Once implemented, this standard will bring into effect…

12 July , 2018

Consumer advocates welcome ACCC Final Report on electricity market

Consumer advocates have welcomed the findings of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry Final Report, released yesterday. Energy Consumers Australia Acting CEO Lynne Gallagher said the final report confirms what consumers have been saying: that the electricity market is not working as it should and not delivering good value for…

1 July , 2018

WA Fitness Industry Code Review

The Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has published a consultation paper as part of its review into the WA Fitness Industry Code. Feedback is being sought from fitness services providers, consumers, industry associations and other interested parties as to the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Code. Attending a gym or fitness…

20 June , 2018

Consumer advocate groups call for action by energy retailers and regulators

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has admitted that competition among energy retailers is not delivering ‘expected benefits’ in its annual retail energy competition review. Consumer Action Law Centre and PIAC’s Energy and Water Consumers’ Advocacy Program (EWCAP) are calling for stronger action by energy retailers and regulators to ensure that the market is working…

10 June , 2018

ACMA rules kick in on telco complaints

Telco consumers can expect a better complaints-handling experience under a new industry standard and record-keeping rules announced today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). This is the first tranche of new rules announced by the ACMA in December 2017 to improve consumers’ experience in migrating to the National Broadband Network (NBN). The ACMA’s actions follow its industry information-gathering exercise and its…

8 June , 2018

Making grocery unit prices easier to notice and read

The small print sizes many businesses use to show the unit price (price per unit of measure) of pre-packaged grocery and similar products is a major problem in Australia and other countries. To facilitate consideration of this important issue, a paper on it has been prepared by CFA executive committee member Ian Jarratt who is…

22 May , 2018

Public consultation commences on Australia’s measurement laws

The following is a media release from Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation. Australians are being asked for their views on how to modernise the national measurement system as part of the Australian Government’s measurement law review. The Australian Government has marked World Metrology Day with the release of a…

17 May , 2018

Regulation of Gift Card Expiry Periods: Federal Consultation Underway

The Federal Government has released, and is seeking submissions and comments on, a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) which examines options for national regulation of gift card expiry dates. Information about the RIS and the consultation process is available here: https://consult.treasury.gov.au/market-and-competition-policy-division/c2018-t282459/ The consultation period closes on 30 May 2018. The RIS focuses on expiry periods and exemptions and…

23 April , 2018

COTA welcomes Aged Care reforms

The Turnbull Government has announced significant reforms that aim to give senior Australians and their families confidence they will be properly cared for. A new national independent Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will also be established to increase transparency through a publicly available rating against quality standards. The establishment of the Commission is in…

11 April , 2018

CHOICE Campaign – Be a unit pricing champion

Consumer group CHOICE have launched a campaign urging consumers to be ‘unit pricing champions’ by crowdsourcing examples of bad unit pricing. What is unit pricing? Unit pricing can be a useful tool to save you money. But it isn’t perfect. Supermarkets try to make it difficult for us, they use small text, don’t display information correctly…