Premier Mark McGowan on Sunday 27 August 2017 announced an increase of penalties for workplace safety offences to bring Western Australia into line with other states and ensure penalties better reflect the importance of a safe workplace. Media statement

A crane operator and partner in a crane business has been fined $15,000 (and ordered to pay $3,577 in costs) over an incident in which he caused a dogman to suffer electrical burns when he operated the crane too close to power lines. Bradley David Lemmon, as a partner in the firm Mobicrane WA, pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment for employees and was fined in...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Consumer Protection welcomes the release of a new guide for ticket-buyers by Live Performance Australia. We regularly receive complaints from people who have searched online for tickets to an event such as a concert, sports match or festival only to inadvertently purchase tickets from an unauthorised reseller. This can leave the...

WorkSafe will soon begin a proactive inspection program to look at the management of violence and aggression in residential aged care facilities. Beginning next month, the program will focus on reducing musculoskeletal and psychological injuries due to workplace violence. It will continue over the following six months in metropolitan and regional areas of the State. WorkSafe A/Director Sally...

A Wangara patio tradesman who took payments from consumers but failed to do the work has been ordered to pay a total of $27,975 in fines, compensation and costs by the Perth Magistrates Court. Nicholas Charles Gudden , trading as Exclusive Patios , pleaded guilty to three charges of contravening the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by wrongly accepting payment and failing to provide goods and...

The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 21 cents per litre (cpl) to 134.9 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 22 August 2017, most Puma, 7-Eleven, Caltex Woolworths, Caltex and Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 139.9 cpl (an increase of between 27 and 31 cpl). Most BP...

A Bunbury demolition company has been fined $4000 (and ordered to pay $1338.50 in costs) for carrying out work for which it did not have the relevant licence. Picton Civil Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to performing Class 1 demolition work without having been issued a Class 1 demolition licence, and was fined in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday. Picton Civil is an earthworks and demolition...

Wageline has launched new versions of its popular leave calculation guides. The annual leave, sick leave and long service leave calculation guides explain and provide examples of how to calculate leave entitlements. These guides are available on the Wageline leave calculation guides page .

Energy Safety and Consumer Protection are issuing a joint public alert, concerned about the dangers of WA consumers using power adaptors that don’t meet Australian safety standards. The warning comes after two consumers reported receiving electric shocks after using an unsafe international adaptor. When the travel adaptor is plugged into a power board, two exposed pins designed for the United...

Long service leave payments can be a hidden cost when buying a business. Small business owners and their accountants need to be aware that when someone purchases a business or part of a business in Western Australia, in most circumstances the new owner will take on the long service leave obligations for existing employees, for the whole period of their employment. This applies regardless of...

Consumers who are affected by the double payment glitch experienced by Woolworths’ supermarkets and their affiliated retailers are being urged to ensure they get a refund for the unauthorised withdrawals and to consider claiming for any consequential costs. The Woolworths’ group of companies, which also includes Big W and the BWS and Dan Murphy liquor outlets, have promised all affected customers...