Key developments
- Improving the Effectiveness of the Consumer Product Safety System
- Review of the Independent Planning Commission
- Draft Proposals: Consent in relation to sexual offences
- Letter to the Minister for Customer Service – Singh decision
- Enhancing housing protections for international students in New South Wales
- 2020-2021 Pre-Budget Submission
- Off the plan reforms – draft Notice of Changes
- Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Family Law and Child Support
- Stamp duty on family law arbitral awards
- Draft Joint Practice Direction for Family Law
Improving the Effectiveness of the Consumer Product Safety System
The Business Law Committee contributed to a submission to the Treasury in response to the consultation regulation impact statement ‘Improving the Effectiveness of the Consumer Product Safety System’.
We noted the deficiencies that were identified in the current product safety system by the 2017 Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand review of the Australian Consumer Law (‘ACL’). We supported the recommendation for the introduction of a General Safety Provision (‘GSP’) that is incorporated into the current ACL to improve the product safety framework.
The product safety framework currently consists of a number of mandatory standards and bans for a small number of products. These essentially entail a reactive approach to consumer safety. We suggested that a proactive approach to product safety, by way of an appropriately designed GSP and education program, would encourage greater awareness of product safety and incentivise traders to prioritise safety.
