On 19 September 2007 Chris Pearce MP, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, announced a national ban on children’s toys that contain unacceptable levels of lead. The ban, which took effect immediately, makes it an offence under the Trade Practices Act 1974 to supply toys which have lead migration levels above the limit specified in the current Australian Standard, which is 90 parts per million.
The ACCC is currently conducting a formal regulation impact assessment of the options to control lead and other potentially toxic elements in toys. This process involves wide community and stakeholder consultation. A draft regulation impact statement is expected to be released for public comment within the next few weeks.
The ban is an important measure to help protect Australian children from toys containing inappropriate lead levels while the broader regulation impact assessment process is completed.
In the lead up to Christmas it is important that unsafe toys be removed from sale. The ban will be enforced by the ACCC, and enforcement strategies will include toy purchasing and chemical analysis.
Toy suppliers have been advised to ensure that their quality control and toy testing systems are robust to prevent any potential breaches of the ban.
Indigenous art and craft: Thinking of buying Indigenous art?
The ACCC has released a new fact sheet for consumers. The fact sheet outlines the steps consumers can take to ensure they are buying genuine Indigenous art.
The fact sheet is part of a series informing consumers about their rights and protections under the Trade Practices Act and how consumers can enforce those rights.
The ACCC has released new online information outlining its processes for investigating complaints about franchisors and franchising systems and the results of some such investigations.
The information includes details of the steps taken by the ACCC when investigating complaints, outcomes achieved and the results of certain investigations that were not concluded with an administrative settlement or through litigation.
The ACCC does not generally comment on the nature or substance of investigations that are not concluded with an administrative settlement or through litigation. However it has released this information to dispel any misinformation regarding the ACCC’s investigation and enforcement process and to demonstrate that the ACCC will vigorously and transparently investigate and pursue breaches of the Trade Practices Act and the Franchising Code of Conduct.
