ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ

The problem

Consumers should be able to trust that the products they buy are safe and fit for purpose. Sadly, that is not always the case. Children and young people are especially vulnerable, with over 150 children dying each year in Australia from preventable injuries.

What

To help keep consumers safe, we will continue to focus on product safety with an emphasis on products presenting risks to young children, such as coin and button batteries and products powered by these types of batteries as well as toppling furniture.

We will toughen our compliance approach, with zero tolerance for non-compliance with mandatory standards that aim to protect children. Where we find dangerous or illegal items, we will remove them and take appropriate enforcement action. We will also continue our important work educating consumers and industry, to drive awareness and compliance with new safety standards, and we will support national safety initiatives that help create a strong, ‘no-gaps’ compliance framework.

The Problem

Many of us rely on our cars to get us to work, care for loved ones and attend important events, especially if we live away from areas with good public transport. We also expect that cars offered for sale are safe and reliable. When this is not the case the impact can be significant. Cars are a significant budget item for many ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵn households, and especially so for consumers on a fixed or low income. Research indicates that some motor car traders do not honour consumer guarantees, make false or misleading representations or engage in other unfair practices.

What we’ll do

We will continue to act on complaints and intelligence about traders selling poor quality cars, particularly to people experiencing financial vulnerability. We will also work with other regulators to identify and take action against motor car traders facilitating inappropriate finance to buyers to assist in the purchase of poor quality cars.

We will also continue to take action against those selling cars without being licensed motor car traders. By removing rogue traders and supporting a robust licensing scheme, we ensure ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵns can make purchases more safely and have access to statutory protections if problems do arise.

Why

With increased cost of living pressures, more ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵns are finding it harder to make ends meet. Against this environment, we continue to identify poor conduct by debt collectors, particularly those impacting consumers experiencing vulnerability or with low financial literacy.

What

We will continue to support consumers to help them better understand their rights and will take compliance and enforcement action where debt collectors fail to comply with the law. In addition, we will continue to fund access to financial counselling services, noting the importance of the front-line role that financial counsellors play in assisting consumers to resolve debt issues.

Why

The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) saw a strong increase in the number of businesses offering goods and services to support persons living with a disability. While an important and positive reform, unfortunately stakeholders report to us that on some occasions goods and services are not fit for purpose or not supplied. Such conduct can have a significant impact on consumers with disability (and their support persons) and may put them at higher risk of physical or financial harms.

What

We will continue to monitor this market, with a particular focus on identifying providers selling unsuitable products, especially those of poor quality, as well as those who fail to supply. We will enhance our understanding of the risks posed by these products so we can shape our compliance and education activities appropriately as well as share intelligence and insights with co-regulators and other agencies.

The Problem

Buying consumer products and services is a daily activity for most ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵns, affecting all parts of our lives. Whether buying online or in store, consumers engage with traders with the expectation that goods and services, once ordered, will be supplied. The Australian Consumer Law ensures consumers are protected when buying goods and services. A key aspect is the guarantee that goods and services will be supplied within a reasonable time if no specific time frame is agreed upon. If a product or service fails to meet this guarantee, consumers are entitled to a remedy. Unfortunately, this expectation is not always met, with some consumers experiencing lengthy delays or non-delivery of products and delayed or no refunds.

What we’ll do

We will continue to closely monitor complaints about non-compliant businesses and work closely with our counterparts and stakeholders across other jurisdictions to take swift and coordinated action when traders don’t act appropriately.

The Problem

Purchasing a property is one of the biggest financial decisions people make. Underquoting is when a property is advertised at a price below the estimated selling price, the seller's asking price, or a price that has been rejected as too low by the seller. When underquoting occurs, potential buyers can waste significant time and money inspecting properties that were never in their price range. It may also distort the market and create an artificial purchasing environment while enriching those who break the law.

What we’ll do

Consumer Affairs ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ’s underquoting taskforce was made a permanent enforcement arm in August 2024. We will continue to crack down on unlawful underquoting and other unfair selling practices in the property market. Building on the significant activity we have already undertaken, we will increase our education for real estate agents and the public, market analysis and sales campaign monitoring, and attend more auctions and targeted inspections. We will pursue a zero-tolerance approach to underquoting, responding to all detected non-compliance, to stamp out this practice and ensure homebuyers have fair and easier access to purchasing a property.

The Problem

Financial pressures in the building industry, driven by the tight housing market, are contributing to increased consumer risks in the sector. High-profile builder insolvencies and heightened media attention have further diminished consumer confidence in the industry.

Legislative reforms have been implemented to reduce consumer risk and address concerning instances of builders failing to appropriately insure building works, as well as establish the new Building and Plumbing Commission. Further reforms will strengthen consumer protections under the Domestic Building Contracts Act, covering contract variations, price increases and progress payments.

What we’ll do

We will provide clear information, advice and support to consumers regarding their consumer rights when building or renovating, including about entering domestic building contracts or negotiating with builders. We will work closely with our partners and co-regulators and act swiftly to crack down on builders who persistently fail to comply with basic consumer protections.

The Problem

A tight rental market does not excuse rental providers from their obligations to offer secure accommodation that meets minimum health and safety standards. Failing to meet these and other renter protections, such as advertising honestly, avoiding rental bidding, proper lodging of bonds and honest use of notices to vacate, puts renters at serious risk of harm.

What we’ll do

Our dedicated renting taskforce, established in 2024, will continue to crack down on rental law offences.

We’ll educate and support rental providers and estate agents to understand and comply with their obligations. However, we won’t tolerate unlawful practices. Using intelligence and market analysis, we’ll monitor rental campaigns and target inspections to stop poor conduct and offences affecting the safety, security and tenure of renters. These include renting out a property that doesn’t meet the minimum standards, false advertising, non-lodgement of and excessive bonds, illegal notices to vacate, failure to provide a condition report, and rental bidding. We’ll take disciplinary proceedings and enforcement action where we detect breaches, including court actions for the most serious breaches.

We will also continue to fund support services, such as the Tenancy Assistance and Advocacy Program, to help individual renters and residents experiencing disadvantage get the advice and support they need.

The Problem

Rooming houses are often a housing option of last resort for the most vulnerable members of our community. Rooming house operators are required to satisfy mandatory minimum standards of safety and amenity. When these standards are not met, residents are placed at risk of serious harms. Legislated minimum standards balance the needs of residents while allowing operators to manage their properties sustainably. Minimum standards, which first came into operation for ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵn rooming houses in 2012, will be complemented by proposed minimum energy efficiency standards for rooming houses to ensure residents are provided with comfortable energy efficient living arrangements.

What we’ll do

Working closely with key stakeholders, our education and compliance monitoring programs will continue to focus on improving the standards of rooming houses. We will continue to conduct inspections, with a particular focus on minimum standards, lodgement of bonds and ensuring rooming house operators are licensed. If we identify serious or systemic breaches, we will take compliance and enforcement action, which may include seeking to cancel operators’ licences. We will use the full range of enforcement options against any unlicensed operators detected.

The Problem

Residential parks are another accommodation sector of focus. Such parks often attract older renters who may be financially vulnerable and seeking an alternative to a retirement village.

The ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵn government is undertaking reforms to enhance protections for residential parks residents. These reforms include standardising site agreements, ensuring clarity on rent increases, and conducting research to understand the specific challenges faced by residents.

What we’ll do

We will support park operators to understand and meet their obligations under the reforms and monitor compliance with key protections. We will take enforcement action against systemic or egregious non-compliance by park operators.

Why

Emergencies such as floods or bushfires cause significant trauma for people and communities impacted. They can cause widespread damage to and loss of housing and result in complex financial issues for people affected, including insurance issues, loss of income, mortgage or rental stress, loss of possessions. Communities often show extraordinary resilience in the face of and after emergencies, but they also need services and supports to ensure a successful recovery.

What

We will continue to administer additional ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵn Government funding to agencies delivering financial counselling and renter services to those impacted by the October 2022 floods, including through a pilot program to provide integrated support to affected renters. This pilot will assist ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵns by providing access to legal, financial counselling and social support services.

We will also focus on streamlining our outreach services so renters impacted by flood events receive immediate, tailored, and long-lasting support without having to navigate multiple layers of bureaucracy. This support will aim to achieve better housing and life outcomes, including by reducing eviction rates (and associated social disadvantage like homelessness).

The Problem

Emergencies such as floods or bushfires cause significant trauma to impacted people and communities. They can cause widespread damage to and loss of housing and result in complex financial issues for people affected. This may include insurance issues, loss of income, mortgage or rental stress and loss of possessions. Communities often demonstrate extraordinary resilience during and after emergencies, but they still require services and support to ensure a successful recovery.

Emergencies often require residents and owners to take immediate action to repair their homes or arrange similar work. When demand for repairs is high and urgent, and skilled tradespeople are in short supply, ‘fake tradies’ may seize the opportunity to scam or fleece consumers by offering to do maintenance work (usually for cash), only to disappear with the money, leaving behind incomplete or substandard work.

Genuine fundraising activities are a fantastic way to quickly raise money to support communities severely impacted by emergencies. As with ‘fake tradies’, fake fundraisers can see emergencies as a prime opportunity to prey on the generosity of members of the public who are keen to help by donating money, usually online. Not only is such conduct illegal, but it also diverts much-needed donations away from legitimate charities.

What we’ll do

We will streamline our outreach services so people impacted by flood events receive immediate, tailored, and long-lasting support without having to navigate multiple layers of bureaucracy. This support will aim to achieve better housing and life outcomes, including by reducing financial hardship and maintaining people’s housing through the delivery of financial counselling, renter and consumer assistance services.

We will continue to provide education and support for residents affected by emergencies, responding swiftly to information or complaints about ‘fake tradies’ and referring serious matters to ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Police when appropriate.

We will also actively monitor fundraising activities for impacted communities to identify practices such as misleading claims, unregistered fundraisers, or failing to distribute funds to intended beneficiaries. We will collaborate with our regulatory partners and refer matters to other law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution where relevant.