CHOICE welcomes Consumer Ministers’ commitment to prioritise general product safety protections
Consumer group CHOICE has welcomed the commitment from Consumer Ministers to prioritise general product safety protections as part of a holistic review into product safety frameworks and laws, following the Consumer Ministers Network meeting in Darwin last week.
Quotes attributable to Andy Kelly, Director of Consumer Impact at CHOICE:
“CHOICE is pleased to see Consumer Ministers commit to prioritise product safety reforms as an outcome of their annual meeting.The inclusion of general safety protections is a long overdue reform that would help to prevent unsafe products from ending up on shelves and causing harm to consumers. The last time the product safety system was reviewed was in 2019, so it’s great to have this back on the agenda.”
“Australia’s product safety laws are largely reactive, so it often takes a serious injury or death before something is done. People should be able to trust the products they buy are safe, regardless of whether they have been purchased in-store or online. A general safety provision would place a clear legal responsibility on all businesses to ensure products are safe before they are sold. Setting a baseline level of safety would bring Australia in line with international best practice and potentially prevent many life-altering injuries and deaths.”
“CHOICE also welcomes Ministers recognising the growing risks posed by unsafe products sold through online marketplaces – the focus of our second designated complaint to the ACCC. Our complaint outlined the problem of major online marketplaces selling and facilitating the sale of unsafe, potentially banned and prohibited products to consumers and the need to introduce a general safety provision and extend obligations to online marketplaces.”
Read CHOICE’s designated complaint: https://www.choice.com.au/consumer-advocacy/submissions-reports-complaints/2026/delivering-danger-designated-complaint-on-the-sale-of-unsafe-products-online
Background:
Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for Consumer Affairs meet in Darwin on Thursday, 30 July 2026.
Ministers attending the meeting included Minister Boothby, federal Assistant Minister for Productivity Dr Andrew Leigh, NSW Minister for Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong, WA Attorney General Dr Tony Buti, Tasmanian Minister for Consumer Affairs Guy Barnett, and ACT Attorney General Tara Cheyne.
