Post thumbnail
Furniture suppliers will be required to provide safety warnings to consumers about the dangers of toppling furniture hazards, after the Assistant Treasurer, the Hon. Stephen Jones, made a new information standard for toppling furniture. Since 2000, 28 people, including 17 children under five, have died in Australia from toppling furniture, and each year more than 900…
Read More New Toppling Furniture Laws Introduced
Logos for Consumers' Federation of Australia, Queensland Consumers Association, Consumers SA, Financial Counselling Australia, Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network, CHOICE, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association
Last week the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) along with member organisations CHOICE, Queensland Consumers Association (QCA), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Consumers SA (South Australia), the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) and the Indigenous Consumers Assistance Network submitted our joint group submission to the 2024-25 ACCC Supermarket Inquiry. Generally, the submission calls for the…
Read More Joint Submission to the ACCC Supermarket Inquiry
Post thumbnail
The Productivity Commission is undertaking a study to assess the economic effects of national competition reforms. It is now inviting community members to share perspectives, experiences and expertise on national competition matters and modelling competition reforms. The Commission’s review is occurring against a backdrop of declining productivity growth in the past decade. As such, a…
Read More Submission Call for National Competition Policy
Consumers International World Consumer Rights Day 2024
FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE AI FOR CONSUMERS
It’s March 15th and time for World Consumer Rights Day once more, a day to raise global and local awareness of consumer rights, protection and empowerment. The theme selected this year by Consumers International (CI) is ‘Fair and responsible AI for consumers’. For Australian consumers, the Federal Government released an interim response to safe and…
Read More World Consumer Rights Day 2024: Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers
laptop, conference table, mouse-7978588.jpg
Original media release from The Hon Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services (7/03/2024). Consultation available here. The Albanese Government is working to improve insurance affordability as more severe weather events contribute to higher costs. As these events intensify and become more frequent, it’s also important consumers know exactly what they are…
Read More Consultation Opens for Standardizing Definitions and Standard Cover for Insurance
Post thumbnail
Australians love caravanning and camping. We see it as a great way to experience Australia’s open spaces and natural beauty. Caravanning and camping has recovered well since the COVID-related lockdowns ended and trips were at 12.7 million by the year ending June 2022, according to Tourism Research Australia caravan and camping data. Standards Australia has…
Read More Caravanning and Camping
bin, garbage, recycle bin-42673.jpg
55% of Australians incorrectly dispose of batteries. Australian B-cycle “Never bin your batteries” aims to help consumers understand the risks of throwing batteries away in regular bins. It emphasises the need to never put used batteries in general waste or recycling bins, to instead tape the terminals with clear sticky tape and take them to…
Read More Safe Battery Disposal
bridge, steel bridge, building-2934151.jpg
The Australian Government is taking action to help ensure that AI is safe and responsible, releasing its interim response to the Safe and Responsible AI in Australia consultation today.
The consultation made clear that while AI has immense potential to improve wellbeing and grow our economy, Australians want stronger protections in place to help manage the risks.
The Government’s response is targeted towards the use of AI in high-risk settings, where harms could be difficult to reverse, while ensuring that the vast majority of low risk AI use continues to flourish largely unimpeded.
Read More Government Considers “mandatory guardrails” for AI Development
dresser, furniture, cabinet-576043.jpg
How stable is your furniture? Does your heavy, full wardrobe have appropriate anchors or tip-over failsafes? Currently, Australia only has a voluntary safety standard (AS/NZS 4935:2009) but in light of the recently published mandatory American standard (ASTM F2057–23 Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Units) the Australian Competition and ConsumerCommission has decided to re-investigate the…
Read More Survey on Mandatory Furniture Safety Standards
EV charging
The National Measurement Institute is seeking your views on the draft General Certificate of Approval for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).
Any feedback and comments on the proposed documents should be provided by Friday 8 March 2024, 11:59 PM AEST.
Read More Consultation on Maximum Permissible Errors for EV Equipment
Post thumbnail
Original news article by Standards Australia (20/12/2023). A soon-to-be-released Standards Australia publication supporting the responsible expansion of AI has been showcased at an international event. Aurelie Jacquet, Chair of Australia’s AI standards committee, and Roland Terry-Lloyd, Head of Engagement & Strategic Delivery, represented Standards Australia at the recent 2023 Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit in…
Read More Standards and Artificial Intelligence in the APEC Region
Post thumbnail
The ACCC issued four infringement notices to IMG in relation to four different models of Mechatronic Auto Parts branded replacement car key remotes supplied by IMG to Repco and Supercheap Auto that allegedly failed to include the required safety warning labels about the hazards associated with button batteries. IMG paid $59,640 in penalties.
The ACCC also issued two infringement notices to each of Repco and Supercheap Auto for supplying two types of car key remote products to consumers. Repco and Supercheap Auto paid $33,000 and $26,640, respectively, in penalties.
Mandatory safety and information standards were introduced in Australia in June 2022, following significant injuries and the death of three children caused by button batteries. The information standard requires warning information and safety advice to be displayed on packaging and batteries.
Read More Major Suppliers and Retailers Pay Penalties for Alleged Button Battery Standards Breaches
