Consumer and Business Services

In reply to Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (25 June 2024). (Estimates Committee B)

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts): I have been advised of the following:

From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) conducted 256 conciliations about domestic building products and services which resulted in redress being obtained for the consumer.

CBS records a conciliation as resulting in redress being obtained either when:

the consumer indicates to CBS they are happy with the agreement reached voluntarily with the trader, such as an agreement to return to site and attend to rectification works or an agreement to reduce a payment demand; or

the trader and consumer reach an agreement recorded in an instrument of agreement approved by CBS.

Unless a consumer then proactively returns to CBS to inform CBS that the trader did not follow through with the promise or a new dispute has arisen, then CBS is not aware of what occurs after the conclusion of the CBS conciliation process. Therefore, CBS is not able to answer how many conciliations ultimately resulted in successful completion of a home or related works.