Standards Project News Archives - Page 13 of 34 - Consumers' Federation of Australia

10 March , 2021

New requirements for labelling of allergens on packaged foods

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code has been amended to introduce new requirements for the labelling of allergens in food. The changes will make allergen information on food labels clearer and more consistent for consumers by requiring simple, plain English allergen declarations in a specific format and location on food labels. The key features…

3 March , 2021

Women in standards development – International Women’s Day 2021 March 8 “Choose to challenge”

Women are widely under-represented in developing the standards that affect so many areas of our lives, from the products we consume every day to the technologies needed to address a wide range of sustainability challenges. Many of these standards do not adequately address how women and men may be affected differently, for example ill-fitting personal protective…

24 February , 2021

Public comment invited on updates of the energy efficiency labelling requirements for dishwashers and dryers

Australia’s Energy Star Rating scheme provides consumers with useful information about the relative energy efficiency of a product. The more stars a product gets, the more energy efficient it is compared to other models of the same size or capacity. The energy star rating of an appliance is determined by its energy consumption, using the relevant Australian Standard for measuring energy consumption…

2 February , 2021

Why an electric vehicle?

Electric vehicles (that use minimal to no fuel) are becoming more popular and Australian consumers need to feel confident electric transportation will meet the challenges facing the Australian landscape, such as the size of our county or capability of our electricity grid. According to the Australian Electric Vehicle Market Study Report Electric Vehicles (EVs) are expected to…

19 January , 2021

Cyber security — your responsibility

Not all cyber security risks can be addressed by governments and industry — individuals should also take steps to protect themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how much Australians interact and work online, trusting the internet for healthcare, working from home, education, entertainment and online shopping. Protecting you and your family online is about more than avoiding…

18 January , 2021

Innovate or perish —Standards Australia publishes standards on innovation management

The COVID-19 epidemic has raised concerns around supply chains and the need for more innovation. So how can organisations be innovative enough in order to deal with an increasingly uncertain world? Standards Australia has recently published three AS ISO standards on Innovation management — about guidance, vocabulary, and tools and methods for innovative partnerships. A Consumers Federation…

18 January , 2021

Phase out of open flued gas space heaters — have your say

Under certain circumstances, open flued gas space heaters pose a risk of releasing unhealthy and sometimes lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide into buildings. Malfunctioning, poorly or infrequently serviced open flued gas space heaters in residential settings have resulted in the deaths of three Victorians since 2010. Your views are being sought on the Regulatory Impact…

2 December , 2020

Congratulations to CFA representatives appointed to an international mentorship program involving Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and the Seychelles

ISO/COPOLCO Capacity building mentorship program has appointed 10 mentors to work with representatives from 11 countries in Africa, the four appointed from Australia are all CFA Standards Representatives – John Henry working with participants in Malawi and Botswana, John Furbank with participants in the Seychelles, Antonio Bonacruz with participants in Zimbabwe and Heather Grain with participants in Zambia. The program aims to attain concrete standards-related consumer protection objectives and…

4 November , 2020

CFA Soapbox Prizewinner — Quad Bike Performance Project

On Friday, CFA hosted its Consumer Advocacy Soapbox Session, celebrating the best consumer advocacy campaigns over 2019–20. The Soapbox Session was initially part of the National Consumer Congress, which was to be in March. With the support of the ACCC, CFA moved the Session online. The winner of the Award was Raphael Grzebieta from the…

26 October , 2020

Building or renovating? Free online dictionary for building and plumbing terms

Having difficulty understanding the jargon of your builder or plumber? Different terminology makes it confusing to understand exactly what is needed. The free online National Dictionary of Building and Plumbing Terms aims to assist consumers, industry and government to understand the range of terminology used to describe the same or similar terms and processes across Australia. Standards…

14 October , 2020

World Standards Day 2020 – Protecting the Planet with Standards

On World Standard Day, CFA recognises the efforts of the volunteers who represent CFA on Standards Australia Technical Committees. Each year on the 14 October, the members of standards making organisations celebrate World Standards Day – This year’s theme is Protecting the Planet with Standards. Currently CFA has representation on a number of committees that are developing…

14 October , 2020

CFA representative appointed to ISO/COPOLCO-Capacity building mentorship programme

CFA Standards Representative John Henry has been appointed to be a mentor as part of the ISO-COPOLCO-Capacity building mentorship programme. He will be working with trainees in developing countries to attain concrete standards-related consumer protection objectives and significantly improve consumer involvement with priority issues for the country. Participation of developing countries in international standardization is…