NSW Fair Trading participates in a range of inter-agency and national committees to coordinate consumer law initiatives across jurisdictions. The most significant of these are listed below.
NSW Fair Trading is a member of eight national Australian Consumer Law (ACL) regulator networks. Commencing on 1 January 2011, the ACL is the national law for consumer protection and fair trading in Australia. The ACL also provides a national system to regulate the safety of consumer goods and product-related services. The ACL is contained in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and is adopted as a NSW law through the Fair Trading Act 1987. Go to the Australian Consumer Law website for more information about national ACL activities.
ACL regulator networks meet frequently to resolve emerging cross-border consumer issues, deliver national education campaigns and progress reforms to the Australian Consumer Law. Through our participation in these networks, NSW Fair Trading works with consumer law regulators and policy-makers throughout Australia to coordinate responses to significant consumer protection issues.
Consumer Ministers Network (CMN)
CMN consists of Commonwealth, State, Territory and New Zealand Ministers responsible for consumer law policy and regulation. The role of CMN is to consider consumer affairs and fair trading matters of national significance and task senior officials to develop national approaches to those issues where possible. CMN Ministers meet at least once a year. The role of chairing CMN rotates annually and CMN will be chaired in 2024 by the Queensland Minister. CMN was previously known as the Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs (CAF).
Consumer Senior Officials' Network (CSON)
CSON supports Consumer Ministers to ensure a co-ordinated national approach to the development and implementation of consumer policy and regulation. Emerging consumer issues may be delegated to senior officials by Ministers. Senior officials will coordinate responses to emerging issues, usually involving work by one or more of the following networks. The role of chairing CMN rotates annually and CSON will be chaired in 2024 by the Queensland senior official. CSON was previously known as Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).
Consumer Policy Officials Network (CPN)
The purpose of CPN is to progress reforms to the ACL, including the development of policy options for consideration by Ministers. CPN responsibilities include coordinating work with other networks on the education and compliance requirements associated with any ACL reforms. CPN is chaired by The Treasury (Australian Government).
Consumer Education Network (CEN)
Regulatory Compliance Network (RCN)
The role of RCN is to coordinate consistent approaches to compliance issues of national significance and take actions on issues referred to it by CSON. RCN is chaired by NSW Fair Trading.
Fair Trading Operations Group (FTOG)
FTOG is a meeting of operational staff from ACL regulators across Australia. FTOG helps regulators exchange intelligence on emerging trends, issues and potential non-compliant traders. Significant alleged non-compliance will generally be escalated to RCN. FTOG is chaired by Western Australia.
Consumer Product Safety Network (CPSN)
CPSN collaborates on consumer product safety issues of national significance. Product safety in Australia is mainly regulated by the ACCC and state and territory ACL regulators (except for Northern Territory). The ACL product safety provisions set out how the Australian, state and territory governments can regulate consumer goods and product related services to ensure they are safe. CPSN is chaired by Queensland.
National Indigenous Consumer Strategy (NICS) Reference Group
NICS includes representatives from Commonwealth, state and territory ACL regulators as well as Indigenous non-government representatives. Fair Trading is committed to working cooperatively on the issues and actions identified as priorities. NICS is chaired by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).