The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a list of its intended compliance and enforcement priorities for 2021.
According to the Commission they include sales practices in Australia’s domestic travel sector; competition in aviation; and the conduct of some caravan manufacturers.
Chair of ACCC, Rod Sims said the Commission’s COVID-19 Enforcement Taskforce would continue to closely monitor forward sales practices by travel businesses, noting concerns about misrepresentations in advertising and marketing material targeted at consumers.
“Competition in the COVID-hit aviation industry remains fragile, so the ACCC will be scrutinising behaviour that could further damage competition,” Mr Sims said.
“The ACCC will, for example, be closely monitoring the plans by the regional operator, Rex, to enter the major domestic routes, including those connecting Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with a particular focus on Rex’s ability to access (take-off or landing) slots at Sydney Airport.”
He said the caravan industry had experienced significant growth during 2020 as a result of international travel restrictions.
“The ACCC continues to receive complaints and concerns about caravan manufacturers failing to comply with consumer guarantee obligations,” Mr Sims said.
He said the ACCC would also be looking to improve industry compliance with consumer guarantees across a range of high-value goods, particularly motor vehicles and caravans.
“Despite the pandemic, the ACCC received a high volume of complaints about motor vehicles consumer guarantee issues in 2020,” Mr Sims said.
“Enforcement action against a number of motor vehicle dealers and then leveraging these enforcement outcomes to achieve broader industry behavioural change continues to be a key project for the ACCC.”
He also foreshadowed two crucial product safety measures.
“Implementation of new safety standards for button batteries to prevent injury and death to children, and monitoring of the Government’s new mandatory standards for quad bikes, also designed to save lives,” the ACCC Chair said.
