Department/Agency
Department of the Treasury
Type
Ministerial Forum / Standard Setting Body
Announcement date
1/12/2021
Link to announcement
https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2021-223344
Problem being addressed
Businesses have indicated to the Australian Government during various consultation processes that complex layers of regulation and a product safety framework that is slow to respond to changing international consumer markets can contribute to unnecessary costs and confusion about their obligations when supplying goods regulated under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Proposal
The Australian Government has announced support for making amendments to the ACL to allow for the easier use of trusted overseas product standards and to potentially allow for the automatic update of mandatory standards. The objectives of these proposed amendments are to: make it easier for suppliers and importers to comply with product safety requirements set under the ACL; reduce compliance costs for business and barriers to trade by removing duplicative testing and compliance measures where a product has been manufactured overseas to the requirements of an equivalent overseas standard; and provide benefits for Australian consumers and for the Australian market by increasing product availability and consumer choice, decreasing cost of products whilst maintaining safety.
Submissions close 21 January 2022. Visit the Department of the Treasury's consultation page (linked above) to learn more, including how to make a submission.
Assessed RIS outcome
Compliant consultation RIS.
Assessment comments
The RIS is adequate for consultation.
Regulatory burden
Unknown at this time.