A new national safety standard for decorative alcohol-fuelled (ethanol) burners will come into effect on 15 July 2017, replacing an interim ban on the products. The action to ensure the safety of portable table-top burners comes after reports of more than 100 injuries and 36 house fires in Australia since 2010 and at least three deaths overseas. WA first introduced an interim ban in December 2016...

A real estate agent has had his licence and triennial certificate cancelled by the State Administrative Tribunal after failing to complete compulsory training requirements. Anthony Palermo of Dalkeith was subject to disciplinary action by Consumer Protection when he failed to complete the necessary Compulsory Professional Development (CPD) obligations for three consecutive years 2013-2015, in...

Many WA awards require employees to be paid a location allowance when working in certain regional towns. A location allowance is paid to employees in regional areas to compensate for the additional cost of living, climatic discomfort, and isolation in these towns. The location allowance is varied in July each year, in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the cost of living, excluding...

The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 21 cents per litre (cpl) to 130.2 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 11 July 2017, most Puma, Caltex and Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 134.9 cpl (an increase of 30 cpl by Puma, 28 cpl by Caltex and 25 cpl by Coles Express...

The Operation Manager of a roofing company has been fined $7500 (and ordered to pay costs of $517) after a labourer was seriously injured in a fall through a skylight. Charles Roy Farmer pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable care to avoid adversely affecting another person and, by that failure, causing serious harm and was fined in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on June 26.. In September...

A real estate sales representative has been reprimanded by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) and must pay a $1,000 fine and $500 in costs for breaching a special condition on his certificate of registration. Mark Bruce Hourn of Exmouth has failed to complete the necessary Compulsory Professional Development (CPD) obligations for three consecutive years 2013-2015, in breach of the Real...

WorkSafe has issued a warning to keep children out of hazardous workplaces – particularly farms – during the school holidays. WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said today workplaces were not the ideal places to take children, especially potentially hazardous ones like farms. “What needs to be kept in mind is that a farm is a workplace that frequently contains plant and machinery that can be...

The 26 th annual WAITTA INCITE Awards were held on the 16 th June 2017. The awards recognise local talent, products and technologies that help industry and government operate more efficiently. Energy Safety won the most effective Government solution award for eNotice, a web-based solution for the gas and electricity industry in WA for lodging work notices. With over 400,000 paper forms completed...

The state minimum wage for award free employees and all pay rates in WA awards have increased effective from the first pay period on or after 1 July 2017. In June the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission awarded a $16 per week increase in the state minimum wage for adult award free employees, lifting it to $708.90 per week from 1 July 2017. WA Award rates of pay below $791.90 per...

The McGowan Government will regulate Western Australia's $140 million prepaid funeral sector to better protect seniors and their families from fund mismanagement. The Government is developing a mandatory code of practice to give consumers greater consistency, clarity and certainty when investing in prepaid funeral plans - bringing WA into line with other States. Currently the industry is governed...

With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard If you’re a parent or carer, it’s highly likely you’ve heard all about, or seen too much of, ‘fidget spinners’. Alternatively, you may have noticed the novelty items for sale online or at stalls in shopping centres and we know there are also promotional giveaways where you get them for free. For anyone who isn’t sure what they are,...

A travel business that cold calls consumers selling travel vouchers is the subject of a warning by Consumer Protection. Abdul Rehman , who operates Prime Marketing Solutions (registered in Victoria) and The Tour Groups (unregistered), has attracted several complaints and enquiries to consumer protection agencies throughout Australia, with one complaint coming from a WA consumer. In the WA...