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...
Be in the know before you need a tow! Get prepared before being involved in a car accident or roadside breakdown situation. It is hard to have your wits about you when you have been involved in a car accident, particularly if you’re in a busy location and need to get your car off the road. It can...
Western Australian electrical safety regulations require all lighting points to have earth protection using a conductor connected to the main earth of the building’s electrical installation. The earthing conductor must be connected to a suitably robust earthing terminal of the lighting point (...
A national safety alert has been issued for several open-flued gas heaters that, under certain circumstances, may produce too much carbon monoxide – potentially causing serious health risks to users. Building and Energy is urging owners of these gas heaters to stop using them immediately. The...
You can’t see it or smell it. But while your gas heater is running, poisonous carbon monoxide could be spilling into your home. Unserviced gas heaters can spill carbon monoxide (CO) – a gas that you can’t see or smell but can make...
Safety advice for using open flued gas space heaters Negative pressure can occur when there is not enough ventilation in a home and an exhaust fan or range hood is operating. If an open flued gas space heater is operating at the same time as an exhaust fan, it may cause the gas heater to...
Building and Energy encourages Western Australians to take simple steps to protect themselves against home fires as more people purchase and use equipment and devices with lithium-ion batteries. The following information will help consumers avoid the fire risk while enjoying the undoubted...
The Commissioner for Consumer Protection has issued some advice about your consumer rights during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, with the below frequently asked questions addressing retail, travel, memberships and services issues and how they are covered by legislation. This information will be...
Restaurants and cafes that charge a surcharge on certain days do not need to provide a separate menu. However, the menu or pricing display must include wording that ‘a surcharge of [percentage] applies on [the specified day or days]’ . This statement must be displayed in a transparent and prominent...
Quad bikes have a number of design features that create risks for users, particularly when used on uneven or sloped ground. Losing control of a quad bike can cause it to flip or roll over causing death or serious injury. About quad bikes A quad bike (also known as an all-terrain vehicle or ATV) is...
This compliance letter is provided to Consumer Protection by the Better Regulation Unit (BRU) of the Department of Treasury. The BRU is responsible for assessing Decision Regulatory Impact Statements...
New fitness code published The Fair Trading (Fitness Industry Code) Regulations 2020 (WA) (that contain the new Fitness Industry Code) were published on 29 September 2020. This mandatory code comes...
The Guidelines for the safety of buildings near network operator assets are issued under Section 33AA of the Electricity Act 1945. The risks and potential consequences of an electrical incident...
The objective of this general inspection was to determine if new residential buildings (dwellings) in designated bush fire prone areas are adequately meeting the bush fire building requirements of...
Use this PDF version of the complaint form to make a complaint to the department about a regulated building service or a home building work contract if you intend to print and submit a hard copy...
The quad bike safety standard poster highlights the key requirements of the safety standard. Please download the poster and display in a highly visible location. For more information visit the quad...
Keep this guide handy to answer questions about your housing options as you age. What is a retirement village? These are managed residential complexes providing independent living accommodation for...
Follow these tips to protect yourself: 1. Research Before you buy a new or used car, do some research to determine which car is right for you and what you can afford. 2. Check safety rating Check the...
If you’ve ever tried to compare health insurance or hotels to find the best deal, you will have likely encountered a commercial comparison site. While these services can be a useful tool, it’s important to make sure you know how these sites work before relying on a comparison to choose a service provider. Consumer Protection has received a higher number of enquiries and complaints about...
Warning to be aware of bogus calls claiming to be from government agencies Resist threats from scammers to pay a fake debt Hang up on these calls and contact government agency directly to verify A plea from Consumer Protection for people to be aware of the various tax scams has been prompted by figures which show a large increase in losses suffered by WA victims. So far this financial year (1...
Travelling conmen offering to resurface bitumen driveways and car parks Work is usually sub-standard or incomplete and at an inflated price Warning to resist high pressure sales tactics and shop around A warning from Consumer Protection that ‘Bitumen Bandits’ are operating in WA’s South-West following reports that they are approaching local businesses in the area. A Myalup business paid the six...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 30 cents per litre (cpl) to 158.6 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 16 June 2021, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: 7-Eleven, BP, Caltex/Ampol, Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express hiking by between 42...
Planned changes for better regulation of private swimming pool fences Building and Energy’s decision paper follows an in-depth review and consultation Preparation work underway including draft amendments to Building Regulations Building and Energy has outlined 16 ways that the State Government intends to improve the regulatory requirements for private swimming pools and their safety barriers in...
Encroachment of a garage into neighbouring property not disclosed before sale Agent told about the issue during appraisal but forgot about it Warning to agents to improve efforts to discover and disclose facts Failing to disclose an encroachment issue prior to the sale of a Nedlands home has resulted in a real estate agency and its former Director being fined a total of $13,000 by the State...
Western Australia’s building regulator is reminding builders and their clients that any increases in the price of a home building contract must comply with legislation. The guidance from Building and Energy follows a sharp rise in enquiries from home owners about unexpected price increases to their fixed-price home building contracts, as well as about delays to building work. Building and Energy...
Final consultation paper open for comment Includes proposals for a new process to manage changes to a retirement village Consultation closes on 21 July 2021 Consumer Protection has released the final consultation paper in Stage Two of its retirement villages’ legislation reform process in Western Australia, and all interested parties are encouraged to provide feedback. The Consultation Regulatory...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 31 cents per litre (cpl) to 159 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 9 June 2021, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Caltex/Ampol and Coles Express hiking by between 43-46 cpl up to 171.9 cpl; Caltex...
Building Services Board issues $2,500 fine No building permit in place during an apartment balcony renovation Altered compliance certificate provided to the City of Perth A Mount Hawthorn building practitioner has been fined $2,500 for carrying out unauthorised work at a West Perth apartment and submitting incorrect documents to the City of Perth. The Building Services Board found that Christiaan...
