Tobacco Regulations 2017 will come into effect some with changes to price notices and e-cigarette retail outlets in Victoria. From 1 August 2017, the Tobacco Amendment Act 2016 will amend the Tobacco Act 1987 to regulate e-cigarettes in the same manner as tobacco products. The changes affecting price boards are summarised below; A price board […]
HAVE YOUR SAY The Australian Government’s Productivity Commission is undertaking a study of the current administration and enforcement of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Their main task is to examine the effectiveness of the multiple-regulator model in supporting a single national consumer policy framework, and to make findings on how the model can be strengthened. […]
POLICY & ADVOCACY > TASMANIA The Tasmanian Government has announced that it has instructed its Environment Protection Authority to provide advice on the possibility of introducing a container deposit scheme (CDS). Before the Government introduces any such scheme, the National Retail Association has asked that they consult with the retail industry to ensure that no […]
Christmas & Australian Consumer Law Obligations As consumers start their Christmas shopping early, the National Retail Association are reminding retail businesses to revise and align their exchange, return and refund policies to meet the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission standards. The ACCC Commissioner, Sarah Court, reported that many clothing retailers have been displaying “No Refunds” […]
There is no greater obstacle to job creation in the retail industry than being forbidden from opening your doors to trade due to government regulation. It remains the case that many states across Australia maintain complex and excessive layers of regulation concerning retail trading hours. The different legislation requirements for retailers throughout Australia proves problematic […]
Taxation, employment, economic stability – they’re terms that get thrown about a great deal during a federal election campaign. But while they aren’t the most exciting concepts for the average voter, their long-term effects for retailers are profound. The GST Low Value Threshold (LVT) on imports under $1000 for example, has been a thorn in […]
One of the discussions taking place at the International Labour Conference (ILC)in June 2016 concerns the regulation of global supply chains. As well as the need for regulation in addition to existing international labour standards, there is a great diversity of arrangements which fall into global supply chain within and between different industry sectors. The […]
‘Drip pricing’ is a practice used by some retailers during online purchasing, where a headline price is advertised up-front, but other fees and charges are added throughout the purchasing process. Often the extra fees and charges are unavoidable or are applied in most transactions, making it difficult for consumers to compare offers. The Federal Court […]
As a result of a review of the regulatory framework for card payments conducted last year by the Reserve Bank, the Federal Government recently announced draft legislation that will insert a ban on surcharging in excess of merchant costs into the Competition and Consumer Act (2010). The Reserve Bank recently released a Consultation Paper containing […]
The Northern Territory Government is seeking comments from the public on a proposal to streamline the regulation of retail shop tenancies. The purpose of the Business Tenancies (Fair Dealings) Act (the Act) is to establish a regulatory framework that promotes greater certainty, fairness and clarity in the commercial relationship between landlords and tenants in certain […]
The Office of Small Business Commissioner in New South Wales is proceeding with the review of the Act which lapsed due to the elections earlier this year. The review commenced in 2013 with a series of meetings help with various stakeholders. The discussion paper identified eight key areas of concern. Those areas were:- Information asymmetry […]