The vocational education and training (VET FEE-HELP) scheme was a student loans scheme where many students were convinced to enrol in the scheme by door-to-door sales people or shopping mall spruikers. Some students were given the mistaken impression the courses and laptops were free, but later...
Over one third of Western Australian households already have solar PV systems, with numbers growing rapidly. These systems comprise grid-connected, stand-alone and hybrid, incorporating grid and battery back-up. Grid connect systems enable surplus power not used by the household to be fed back into...
A review of the regulation of consignment sales under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973 (WA) has been completed by Consumer Protection. Review purpose The key purpose of the review was to consider whether the regulation of consignment sales should continue in its current form. Review finding A...
There are rules for funeral directors to follow to help consumers compare funeral packages or manage a pre-paid funeral contract. Funeral directors must: be transparent with their pricing, not make incorrect or misleading statements and not offer unfair contract terms or engage in unfair market...
Unit pricing at grocery stores shows consumers not just the cost of a product, but what the value of that product is as a cost per standard unit of measurement on shelf labels for groceries. Unit pricing makes it easy to check, compare and save when buying groceries. Large grocery stores and some...
Introduction Plumbing compliance is monitored and enforced by the Plumbers Licensing Board (the Board) through the designation of plumbing compliance officers employed within the Plumbing Inspectorate for the Building and Energy division of the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and...
New prepaid funeral code – what it means for industry Fair Trading (Prepaid Funerals Code of Practice) Regulations 2020 (the code) is a new mandatory code of practice for Western Australia's prepaid funeral industry. The code ensures any funds are managed within secure investments under the name of...
Have you checked if the products you are buying or installing are certified for use in Australia? In Australia most plumbing and drainage products must be WaterMark certified. The WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory national scheme for plumbing and drainage products to ensure they are fit...
Short-term rental accommodation has increased in popularity in recent years. Homeowners want to make money by renting out a room or property to guests. Meanwhile holiday-makers and business travellers are looking for alternatives to traditional accommodation. Information below addresses the...
Reforming WA's accident towing industry - outcome of consultation. The consultation report summarises what stakeholders told us about problems with Western Australia’s accident towing industry and options for regulating the industry.
A review of the Retirement Villages Act 1992 has been completed by Consumer Protection. The purpose of the review was to consider ways to improve consumer protections for residents and prospective...
This guide is designed to provide information and practical suggestions that may be helpful to you and others at a time when you are grieving and having to navigate legal and other processes...
The motor vehicle dealer industry in Western Australia is regulated under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973 . The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is responsible for the...
This paper represents the second stage of the review of the laws applying to motor vehicle dealers and motor vehicle repairers operating in Western Australia and will pave the way for establishing...
Important Please read the Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC) Disclaimer, WATC IP Statement and DMIRS Statement below. Introduction The Western Australian Treasury Corporation (WATC)...
Employers (or persons conducting a business or undertaking) have a duty under OSH or WHS legislation to eliminate, or if that is not reasonable practicable, minimise the risks of COVID-19 at the...
The Consultation Report summarises the outcome of public consultation undertaken by Consumer Protection in August 2020. The consultation sought stakeholders’ views about the need for industry reforms...
Important Please note, this discussion paper was amended on 29 March 2022 to rectify an error on page 9 of the paper that stated that 90% of associations fall within the Tier 1 financial reporting...
If you sign a contract to buy a car and need to cancel the agreement, as of 1 January 2022 the maximum amount a motor vehicle dealer may charge is up to five per cent of the total purchase price...
Independent retailers offered Perth metro's cheapest fuel in 2023 Record daily price movements demonstrate value of using FuelWatch to shop around FuelWatch attracted 1.3 million visits a month in 2023 Savvy motorists could save more than $1,200 a year by shopping around for their fuel, according to new data released by FuelWatch. FuelWatch data has revealed independent retailers Vibe, Atlas Fuel...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 10 January 2024), the average price of Perth’s regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by over 34 cents...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 3 January 2024), the average price of Perth’s regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by over 34 cents per...
Unlicensed motor vehicle dealers are a danger to the community and they’re illegal. The vehicles sold can be riddled with problems, possibly making them unroadworthy. This puts you and other road users at risk, which could result in a serious accident or even death. These so-called ‘dodgy dealers’ also don’t offer warranties that are required by law on their second-hand vehicles. This means if...
What happens when you don’t like the socks Grandma gives you for Christmas? Or what if Santa delivers your little one a broken toy? Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), consumers have rights when it comes to gifts that are faulty, unsafe or not as described. Australian retailers must offer a remedy such as a refund, replacement or repair, even if the gift was on sale. If the problem is minor...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today motorists will likely have to wait a week before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 27 December 2023), the average price of Perth’s regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by over 34 cents...
Western Power was today fined $80,000 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure network safety in relation to the Wickepin-Narrogin bushfire in February 2022. Perth Magistrates Court heard the bushfire on 6 February 2022 started when Western Power’s high-voltage overhead electricity conductors clashed between two power poles in Wardering. The resulting sparks ignited grass stubble and the fire...
Former building contractor Lordz Pty Ltd (BC100934; cancelled) and its director Peter Lord have been fined for undertaking building services while unregistered. There was no appearance by Mr Lord or the company at Midland Magistrate Court on 11 December 2023 following prosecution by Building and Energy. They were convicted in their absence of two offences under the Building Services (Registration...
Explosion and injury risks from the use of LP gas adaptors Adaptors override the improved safety of LCC27 valves Ensure the safe connection of LP gas cylinders and appliances The State’s energy safety regulator is warning against the use of valve connectors (adaptors) following a recent incident resulting in serious injury. A Perth home owner recently received severe burns while using a barbecue...
It's that time of the year when many kids are counting down to Christmas! It’s also the time our Consumer Protection safety inspectors are out and about making sure toys are safe for Santa’s sack. Button batteries, which power many kids’ novelty toys, remain a deadly risk to small children if they swallow these tiny circular batteries. Our safety inspectors have already visited 58 stores and...
