A photographer of new-born babies was arrested and has appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court today on six charges of accepting payments from consumers but failing to supply some of the images to parents, an alleged breach of the Australian Consumer Law. An arrest warrant was issued against Melissa Sheed of Aubin Grove after numerous attempts by Consumer Protection to serve her with a court...

A new social media campaign to educate employers and employees in Western Australia has been launched by Wageline at the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. The Inquiry into Wage Theft in Western Australia recommended a social media campaign in order to raise the level of employer and employee awareness of employment rights and obligations and the pathways available for pursuing...

They might look harmless, but in the wrong hands (and mouths) button batteries can become child killers. Every week in Australia, 20 children present to an emergency department following exposure to button batteries, with one child a month suffering serious injuries. If swallowed, coin-sized lithium button batteries can lodge in a child’s system and the resulting chemical reaction can cause...

A Bayswater waste recycling company has been fined a total of $330,000 (and ordered to pay an additional $234,000 in costs) after being found guilty of gross negligence over a 2016 incident in which a labour hire worker’s arm was amputated at the shoulder. Resource Recovery Solutions Pty Ltd was found guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court in July of two offences - gross negligence in failing to...

A WorkSafe proactive inspection program has found that the owners of tower cranes have limited knowledge and understanding of the correct procedures for major inspections of tower cranes. The inspection program was conducted throughout the 2019/20 financial year, looking at safety issues relating to tower cranes in service at WA construction sites in both metropolitan and regional areas. WorkSafe...

In June 2020, the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) issued the 2020 State Wage Case decision. The WAIRC decision granted a 1.75% per week increase in the state minimum wage and WA award rates of pay from 1 January 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minimum pay rates for award free employees and all pay rates in WA awards remained unchanged from 1 July 2020. The...

COVID-19 rent grant updates See the latest announcement on the Residential Rent Relief Grant Scheme for current eligibility and application details. Even though Western Australians are getting back on their feet post the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, there are some who are still struggling to make ends meet due to losing their jobs or suffering reduced hours at work. If you’re a tenant whose...

The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 29 cents per litre (cpl) to 133.5 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 4 November 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Caltex/Ampol, 7-Eleven, BP, Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express hiking by between...

A child safety campaign has been re-launched highlighting the dangers of portable pools with, on average, one child drowning every year in Australia and many more needing hospital treatment, some left with severe brain injuries. The ‘Don’t Duck Out, Make it SAFE’ summer campaign involves product safety regulators throughout Australia, including Consumer Protection in WA, joining forces with the...

Laws that regulate the sale of motor vehicles on consignment in WA are under review with a ban being considered as one of the options. Consumer Protection has begun consulting the industry and community about the future of these laws, proposing three options: maintaining the status quo; strengthening the consumer safeguards and training requirements; or banning consignment sales altogether. The...

While many Western Australian businesses have re-opened and returned to ‘business as usual’, there are fears some will not survive the financial impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. When a business closes its doors, consumers often call Consumer Protection with concerns about money paid for goods or services that are yet to be received, or unspent gift vouchers or credit notes. How...

The National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Amendment 1 was adopted on 1 July 2020 with certain transitional provisions in relation to Volume One and Two of the NCC (the Building Code). These transitional provisions end on 30 April 2021. This means that a building permit application lodged on or after 1 May 2021 needs to demonstrate compliance with the NCC 2019 Amendment 1 until such time that a future edition of the NCC comes into effect. It is recommended that NCC 2019 Amendment 1 is used for current and upcoming design proposals, particularly where there may be a chance that the building permit application cannot be made prior to 1 May 2021.