Scammers are smart, crooked and don’t care who they hurt. Lots of people get tricked into handing over their money or personal information to scammers. Scams can be found in many different places for example websites, emails, phone calls, text messages, apps, social media and even a person. In 2020...
The vocational education and training (VET FEE-HELP) scheme was a student loans scheme where many students were convinced to enrol in the scheme by door-to-door sales people or shopping mall spruikers. Some students were given the mistaken impression the courses and laptops were free, but later...
Nominating for a Consumer Protection Award The frequently asked questions below provide some helpful information about the Consumer Protection Awards such as the essential entry requirements, how to apply for an award and the judging process. When do nominations open and close? Nominations open in...
Status: CLOSED, Submissions closed at 5pm on 28 October 2019 Background In late 2018, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) commenced a Regional Services Review to improve service delivery to our regional customers. DMIRS staff and State and Local Government stakeholders...
National consultation on consumer issues impacting Indigenous people Status: Closed, 4 December 2018 The National Indigenous Consumer Strategy (NICS) reference group is seeking to better understand consumer protection issues affecting Indigenous people in Australia. The survey covers key priority...
Gary Newcombe May 2021 - Current Gary Newcombe became Commissioner for Consumer Protection and Executive Director for Consumer Protection on Monday 24th May 2021. Gary has 40 years' experience in the Commonwealth and State public sectors and the Western Australian Parliament, primarily in the areas...
Don't feel pressured into buying or signing anything - you can walk away from sales people who make you feel uncomfortable. Take a look at our new song produced and performed by Bryte MC (feat Ms Shea).
It's Ok to walk away, by Bryte MC (feat Ms Shea) Many...
The 2015 Indigenous Consumers Count report presents the findings of research into the perceptions of Indigenous consumers as well as Indigenous corporations, advocates and service providers concerned with the needs of Indigenous Western Australians. The objective of the project was to explore:...
Have you seen those ads on TV telling you how affordable a funeral plan can be? They say you can put money aside now to take the pressure off your family later. There are different ways to pay for a funeral, but some may be more suitable for you than others. One of the easiest ways to pay for a...
Scams, ripoffs and frauds are becoming more and more commonplace. Consumer Protection has developed WA ScamNet as one method of combatting this ever increasing problem. WA ScamNet What is WA ScamNet? WA ScamNet profiles the most prevalent scams targeting Western Australians and provides information...
This guide is designed to provide information and practical suggestions that may be helpful to you and others at a time when you are grieving and having to navigate legal and other processes...
Employers (or persons conducting a business or undertaking) have a duty under OSH or WHS legislation to eliminate, or if that is not reasonable practicable, minimise the risks of COVID-19 at the...
Door-to-door sales and telephone sales are referred to in the Australian Consumer Law guide as ‘unsolicited consumer agreements’. What are door-to-door sales? Door-to-door sales may include people:...
On 11 January 2021, the Department received a report of an incident at a mine site where an electronic cigarette (vape) battery spontaneously ignited in a worker’s pocket while he was travelling in a...
The Digital DMIRS Strategy seeks to improve the department’s operations and service delivery through the effective use of technology. Some goals of the strategy are to modernise digital systems and...
Urgent Samsung top loader washing machine safety recall Samsung top loader washing machines which have been recalled remain in WA homes, potentially creating a serious fire hazard that puts lives at...
As part of the implementation of the remote Aboriginal communities plumbing scheme, a commitment was given that a review of the scheme would be undertaken once it had been in place for at least...
Renters affected by family and domestic violence (FDV) can now: Go Exit a tenancy agreement without going to court, with as little as 7 days’ notice. S tay Remove a perpetrator’s name from a lease by...
Tenancy toolkit uses imagery to assist visual storytelling of complex legal issues The aim is to improve the understanding of tenancy laws and processes Aboriginal and culturally linguistically diverse communities to be targeted A major effort to improve the understanding of renting rights in vulnerable communities has been launched with the release of a specially-designed educational toolkit...
As a result of the Premier’s announcement placing WA into a hard lockdown until 6pm on Friday, 5 February, our counter and phone services are currently unavailable. You are encouraged to email any enquiries to consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au . If your matter is urgent, please include a contact telephone number in your email and Consumer Protection will call you back within 24 hours. We will resume full...
While the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is changing rapidly, we remain focussed on delivering our services while adhering to advice from Government to protect the health and safety of our staff and the wider community. The department is planning for a range of scenarios and endeavouring to ensure continuity of service. A number of functions can be performed remotely or by using our online...
Under OSH legislation, employers are required to provide and maintain, as far as is practicable, a working environment in which their workers are not exposed to health risks. This includes situations where employees and contractors may be at risk of contracting viruses such as the COVID-19 coronavirus. Employers need to keep up to date with the latest health warnings from the Australian and WA...
Our offices will be closed from Wednesday 25 December 2019 to Wednesday 1 January 2020. Normal services will return on Thursday 2 January 2020. For urgent enquiries please visit our contact page.
Promoters of a fraudulent tax scheme are targeting residents in Kimberley communities with the promise of a large tax return, prompting a warning by Consumer Protection and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Reports from Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding areas have revealed that some taxpayers have been approached by promoters offering to help submit their tax returns with a guarantee of...
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) is conducting a stakeholder satisfaction survey to invite feedback on our services and our role as a regulator. The results will help DMIRS focus on business areas and services that need performance improvements. If you subscribe to a DMIRS email newsletter or subscriber news service, you may be contacted by email and invited to take...
A prominent Aboriginal artist has produced a painting to signify positive changes to WA tenancy laws, which will allow renters who’re experiencing family violence to end a lease quickly to leave for safety or have an alleged perpetrator removed from a tenancy agreement. Under the Residential Tenancies Legislation Amendment (Family Violence) Bill 2018, which was passed in Parliament last night (19...
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s inaugural Annual Report, tabled in Parliament on 19 September 2018, is now available on the website . The 2017-18 report highlights the department’s key achievements and financial performance for the last financial year and showcases what we do for the community of Western Australia. The report also includes independently audited reports...
