Food, Health and Product Safety

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The Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) says action is needed to give consumers as well as suppliers a fairer go when dealing with supermarkets. QCA spokesperson Ian Jarratt says the Federal Government’s decision to change the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct to help farmers and other suppliers in their dealings s with large supermarkets, highlights…

Read More Consumers Want a Fair Go for Supermarket Shoppers Too

Gerard Brody, Chair, Consumers' Federation of Australia: "There's a real value to consumer organisations. As consumer advocates, we see what's going on and we're able to present to government not only the problems, but also the experience, the insights, the connections and the research to help them with solutions."

False information, widespread political change, budgetary cuts. These are just some of mounting issues facing civil society in 2024 at a time when the role they play is needed more than ever. Next week, Consumers International joins discussions at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) to discuss the role of consumer organisations, the value…

Read More Consumers International Speaks With Intergovernmental Group of Experts for Consumer Protection Law and Policy

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Building Ministers have agreed to add climate resilience as an objective of the Australian Building Codes Board. This responds to a recommendation from the 2020 National Natural Disaster Arrangements Royal Commission and paves the way for the Australian Building Codes Board to consider future standards which ensure buildings can better withstand more extreme weather.  This…

Read More Building Ministers Agree to ‘climate resilience objective’

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The Albanese Government will strengthen the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, accepting all recommendations of a recent independent review into the Code as part of a wide?ranging cost?of?living crackdown on anti?competitive behaviour in the food and grocery sector. This is about getting a fair go for families and a fair go for farmers. Our…

Read More Government Accepts All Recommendations to Strengthen Food and Grocery Code

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Consumer group CHOICE has today released its first quarterly, government-funded report on supermarket prices across Australia. 

As part of the research, CHOICE sent mystery shoppers to 81 regional and metropolitan supermarkets across the country, including Aldi, Woolworths, and Coles, to record prices for 14 common grocery items. 

Read the full story here: www.choice.com.au/cheapestgroceries

Read More CHOICE Supermarket Basket Survey Reveals Clear Winner

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The ACCC has outlined preliminary competition concerns with Sigma Healthcare Limited’s (ASX: SIG) proposed acquisition of Chemist Warehouse Group Holdings in a Statement of Issues published today. “This is a major structural change for the pharmacy sector, involving the largest pharmacy chain by revenue merging with a key wholesaler to thousands of independent pharmacies that…

Read More Proposed Merger Raises Concerns Over Pharmacy Sector Competition

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The non-confidential written submissions on the ACCC’s Issues Paper for its Supermarkets Inquiry 2024-25 are now available here. Most of the submissions were from industry organisations and supermarkets. However, there were several consumer focused submissions including one from CFA (which several members signed onto) and individual submissions by the following CFA members: CHOICE, Combined Pensioners…

Read More ACCC Publishes Supermarkets Inquiry Submissions

Solar battery storage outside a brick house. The plastic and metal is charred black and melted in some areas. Solar battery storage outside a brick house. The plastic and metal is charred black and melted in some areas.

LG Energy Solution has provided an enforceable undertaking that it will increase its efforts to alert and protect consumers from faulty LG solar storage batteries which can overheat and catch fire without warning. Since 2020, LG has issued voluntary recalls affecting around 18,000 affected batteries. There have been 15 incidents of property damage caused by the solar…

Read More LG Undertakes to Locate and Fix Dangerous Solar Batteries

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The Honourable Amanda Rishworth beamed into the recent annual Financial Counselling Australia conference in Perth a day after the budget announcement with some welcome news for the financial counselling sector. The Government will invest around $23 million over four years and ongoing, to provide more pre-crisis and early intervention supports, taking the total recent additional…

Read More Increased Funding for Financial Crisis and Early Intervention Support

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The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is seeking applications from professionals with relevant expertise in medicine and science, and consumers with relevant expertise in consumer perspectives and issues.    Successful applicants will contribute significantly towards the TGA’s regulatory functions by providing independent expert advice on matters across a broad spectrum of issues relating to medicines, medical…

Read More Consumer Representative Opportunity – Therapeutic Goods Administration

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The SafeAge Project is a 3-year collaborative academic research project funded by theAustralian Research Council. The project aims to generate contemporary knowledge of the roleof consumer products in injuries and deaths for older Australians. This knowledge benefits: Context:There are significant consequences of unsafe consumer products on population health. Whilstthe government estimates there are around 780…

Read More Consumer Representative Opportunity – SafeAge Project