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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-14 Daily Xml
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ROYAL ADELAIDE SHOW

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:57): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about the Royal Adelaide Show.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Consumer and Business Services hold the important responsibility of product safety oversee, the protection of consumers by ensuring compliance with relevant laws, including national mandatory safety standards and the Australian Consumer Law. Can the minister provided the chamber with information regarding product safety and inspections of show bags and other products at the recently held Royal Adelaide Show?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. I am delighted to report to the council that this year we had a wonderful success with regard to consumer satisfaction and safety at the Royal Adelaide Show, which has now drawn to a close.

Each year children, and families, from the city and country travel to the Wayville showgrounds, having saved their pocket money and been on their best behaviour for their parents so that they might be able to select their favourite show bags and toys and choose their favourite rides.

Consumer and Business Services has the important responsibility of conducting safety inspections on products and toys that are contained in show bags and sold on stalls at the show, and also those given away as prizes. This is a preventative measure to ensure that novelty items and toys are safe for consumers and comply with safety standards before they go on sale.

Officers from the Product Safety Unit of Consumer and Business Services work together with officers from similar units across Australia to inspect the products contained within show bags and at a range of stalls as suppliers tend to move across Australia selling their wares at each of the state's big show days. Suppliers provide CBS officers with National Association of Testing Authorities accredited products test reports for each product, and officers conduct further testing where needed. This streamlining of the process has made it possible to examine each of the products more thoroughly and added to the overall confidence that products do not slip through under the radar, so to speak.

I am advised that this year 236 show bags contained 1,346 products which were inspected for compliance with the Australian mandatory standards and bans. This year, CBS officers focused on show bags for children under the age of three, ensuring that there were no particularly small pieces that would be easily broken off and pose as a choking hazard. Officers also paid particular attention to goods for babies and young children, looking for items which have previously been banned, including yo-yo balls, suction tongue studs and flammable children's nightwear.

I am pleased to advise that there were in fact no breaches detected by our officers in any of the products examined this year. This is in line with results from safety regulators in other states, which has demonstrated that it has been a record year for safety—something that we obviously strive to achieve every year. Inspectors also looked at a range of stalls in sideshow alleys and pavilions throughout the show and found no other items on offer in breach of mandatory safety standards.

I am advised that one of the reasons for these very pleasing results has been the large increase in penalties under the new Australian Consumer Law, which was introduced in South Australia earlier this year. The penalty for supplying goods that do not meet mandatory safety standards or are banned has increased from $10,000 to $1.1 million for companies, and $220,000 for individuals. We believe that this has had a significant impact.

The increase in penalties and the cooperation demonstrated by compliance officers across the states I think has acted as an excellent incentive for traders to provide safe and compliant products for consumers. I commend the work of the product safety officers, and I am confident that, through their ongoing diligence, this year's show was a great success for all South Australians and a safe experience, particularly for the children.

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