Consumer Protection is advising members of an Osborne Park gym to come forward after the business premises closed recently. The owner of the building has prevented any access to the operators and members of Selby Health and Fitness since 22 February 2016. More than 40 members have so far lodged complaints with Consumer Protection and talks are underway with the business operators to resolve them...
The value of the support that community legal centres provide the WA community has been recognised in the 2017 Western Australian Consumer Protection Awards. Karen Merrin, who has managed the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre in Mirrabooka for the past 20 years, has been honoured with the Rona Okely Award for an individual who has given their time, energy and experience for the betterment...
A former York real estate salesman has been banned for 15 years from applying for registration after being found guilty of serious misconduct over the sale of five properties which netted a profit of $5.4 million. The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) found Paul Anthony King committed 13 breaches of the Code of Conduct while working as a sales representative for his father’s real estate agency...
Nedlands man Rohan Keane O’Neill, trading as O’Neill’s Maintenance, has again been prosecuted by the Building Commissioner, this time relating to an incomplete kitchen and bathroom renovation in Como.
The Western Australian public holidays for the 2017 Easter period are: Good Friday - Friday 14 April 2017 Easter Monday - Monday 17 April 2017 Visit the Easter 2017 public holiday arrangements page for: An overview of the Easter public holiday payment arrangements for state system employers and employees Detailed information on public holiday arrangements for State system award free employees...
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 14 cents per litre (cpl) to 136.8 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 14 March 2017, most Puma, Coles Express, Caltex and BP sites are increasing their ULP price to 139.9 cpl (an increase of 20 cpl, 17 cpl, 16 cpl and 13 cpl respectively). Most...
The Building Commission will visit eight towns in regional Western Australia between March and May to update the local building industries on matters relating to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and roof compliance.
Consumers have been affected following the closure of a Perth car restoration and panel beating business and Consumer Protection wants any affected consumers to come forward. Impressive Restorations Pty Ltd , operated by Phillip Kevin Lowe , has closed the doors of its Maddington premises but the company has not yet appointed an administrator or liquidator. A number of consumers have lodged...
A Claremont-based real estate agency has been reprimanded, fined $5,000 and must pay $1,000 to cover the costs of disciplinary action by Consumer Protection due to apartment-buyers being kept in the dark about balcony shutters. During mediation at the State Administrative Tribunal, M Property Pty Ltd agreed there had been two breaches of the Real Estate and Business Agents Act and Code of Conduct...
On 14 December 2016, the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 were amended to provide for the Plumbers Licensing Board (PLB) to administer drainage plumbing diagrams in Western Australia.
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 13 cents per litre (cpl) to 136.2 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 7 March 2017, most Caltex Woolworths, Caltex, Coles Express and BP sites are increasing their ULP price to 139.9 cpl (an increase of 21 cpl, 18 cpl, 16 cpl and 14 cpl,...
Catastrophic failure to manage a trust account and trading without a licence for three months has resulted in a WA real estate agent being fined $8,000 plus $832 in costs. Amanda Jones, formerly trading as Ray White Manjimup Districts, has pleaded guilty to nine charges, under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act. There were: seven charges of failing to correctly balance her trust account each...
Wageline is participating in the Small Business Development Corporation Bizlinks event for small business on Wednesday 29 March 2017. The attached flyer has details on this free event for small business owners.
With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard The Department of Commerce Bond Administrator figures showed 10 per cent of all residential rental bond lodgements were made late in January this year. A bond is money paid by the tenant and held in trust for the duration of a tenancy. The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (the Act) requires that bonds must be lodged by the landlord or...
Monday 6 March is the Labour Day public holiday. Employers should be aware of their obligations on this public holiday, including public holiday pay rates. If an employer is covered by a WA award, check the relevant award on the WA award summaries page of our website. Information about public holidays for award free employers is available on the Pay rates for public holidays page of our website...
A director and former director of a liquidated solar company have each been fined $1,500 and ordered to pay court costs of $622.25 in relation to potential customers being misled and a deposit taken during the 10 business day ’cooling off period’ a customer is entitled to under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Jarrad Graeme Hand, director of Polaris Solar Pty Ltd (voluntarily wound up) and a...
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 14 cents per litre (cpl) to 137.7 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 28 February 2017, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 141.9 cpl (an increase of 17 cpl). Most Caltex Woolworths, Puma and BP sites are increasing their ULP...
A WA real estate agency and sales representative have been fined $12,000 each as part of State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) disciplinary action by Consumer Protection over dishonest conduct during property sale transactions. Sunrun Nominees Pty Ltd trading as House Real Estate WA and Frank Andrew Torre are subject to orders after contravening the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 and the...
A handyman who took money from consumers but failed to carry out the work has been fined $6,000, ordered to pay a customer $2,150 in compensation and must also pay the $3,800 it cost Consumer Protection to prosecute him. Daniel Murray Howard, who has previously been convicted of dishonesty offences, pleaded guilty to three contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law during a hearing at the...
With Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Puppy scammers have been getting their claws into the money of pet-buyers in Western Australia for years. The scammers also use kittens, birds and other popular animals as bait. Sadly the animal never arrives and Consumer Protection has received reports of monetary loss from many heartbroken would-be pet owners. Advertisements can be...
Graeme John Williams, the director and secretary of formerly registered and since liquidated building company Moonfern Pty Ltd (reg. BC11102 – expired), trading as Williams Homes, has been prosecuted by the Building Commissioner for performing work and demanding a deposit for the construction of a Broome dwelling without first providing the owners with a certificate of home indemnity insurance.
An employee has been fined $11,000 (and ordered to pay $1745 in costs) over the death of a fellow worker at a hay baling workplace at Narrogin in 2013. Thomas William Lewis pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable care for the safety of another person and, by that failure, causing the person’s death, and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court today. At the time of the death, Mr Lewis and...
The average cost of unleaded petrol is set to increase by around 12 cents per litre (cpl) to 138.3 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Tuesday 21 February 2017, most Coles Express sites are increasing their ULP price to 142.9 cpl (an increase of 15 cpl). Most BP and Puma sites are increasing their ULP price to 141.9 cpl...
UPDATE 16/3/17 - Federal Government imposes an interim national product safety ban for 60-days. Details released by Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack MP The sale of portable decorative ethanol burners will be banned in Western Australia for another month in a bid to protect consumers from burns or fire incidents. Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection Penny Lipscombe says the 30-...
When we hear about a tragedy – from a bush fire or floods to someone badly injured by a coward’s punch or deaths in a terrorist attack – it’s normal to want to help those affected and giving or collecting money may seem the most practical way to do so. But cautionary tales from donors and collectors highlight the importance of our charity licensing laws. Consumer Protection is here to help people...
