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Post by dieseltojo on Jul 28, 2020 22:40:21 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/correction-accc-alleges-google-misled-consumers-about-expanded-use-of-personal-data-0Correction: ACCC alleges Google misled consumers about expanded use of personal data 27 July 2020
Correction: An earlier version of this media release used a hypothetical example that suggested that Google used information about users’ health to personalise or target advertisements. Google says that it does not show personalised ads based on health information. This example has been removed from the media release.
The ACCC has launched Federal Court proceedings against Google LLC (Google), alleging Google misled Australian consumers to obtain their consent to expand the scope of personal information that Google could collect and combine about consumers’ internet activity, for use by Google, including for targeted advertising.
The ACCC alleges Google misled consumers when it failed to properly inform consumers, and did not gain their explicit informed consent, about its move in 2016 to start combining personal information in consumers’ Google accounts with information about those individuals’ activities on non-Google sites that used Google technology, formerly DoubleClick technology, to display ads. This meant this data about users’ non-Google online activity became linked to their names and other identifying information held by Google. Previously, this information had been kept separately from users’ Google accounts, meaning the data was not linked to an individual user.
Google then used this newly combined information to improve the commercial performance of its advertising businesses. The ACCC also alleges that Google misled consumers about a related change to its privacy policy.
“We are taking this action because we consider Google misled Australian consumers about what it planned to do with large amounts of their personal information, including internet activity on websites not connected to Google,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“Google significantly increased the scope of information it collected about consumers on a personally identifiable basis. This included potentially very sensitive and private information about their activities on third party websites. It then used this information to serve up highly targeted advertisements without consumers’ express informed consent,” Mr Sims said. “We allege that Google did not obtain explicit consent from consumers to take this step.”
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Post by dieseltojo on Jul 29, 2020 18:54:44 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/locality-planning-energy-pays-penalty-for-alleged-breach-of-electricity-retail-codeLocality Planning Energy pays penalty for alleged breach of Electricity Retail Code
29 July 2020 Electricity provider Locality Planning Energy Pty Ltd (LPE) has paid a penalty of $10,500 after the ACCC issued it with an infringement notice for an alleged contravention of the Electricity Retail Code. This is the first enforcement action taken by the ACCC for a breach of the Code.
The Code was introduced in July 2019 to reduce confusion and make it easier for consumers to compare retail electricity offers. It imposes rules on electricity providers for how they must advertise prices and conditions on market and standing offers.
The ACCC alleges that LPE breached the Code by publishing an offer on its website but failing to include:
• a comparison of its offered price to the reference price, which is the benchmark price set by the government, • the total amount a customer consuming an average amount of electricity would pay in a year based on the offered price, and • the distribution region and type of small customer to which the offer applied.
“By not displaying the information required by the Code, LPE made it difficult for consumers to assess the value of the deal against others advertised in the market,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. “Electricity retailers have had plenty of time to ensure they comply with the Code and the ACCC will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who fail to do so.”
Note for editors The Competition and Consumer (Industry Code—Electricity Retail) Regulations 2019 (Electricity Retail Code) is a mandatory industry code prescribed under the Competition and Consumer Act. The Code was implemented by the Australian Government in response to recommendations made in the ACCC’s Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry report.
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Post by dieseltojo on Jul 30, 2020 12:44:58 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/murray-darling-basin-water-markets-in-need-of-major-changesMurray-Darling Basin water markets in need of major changes 30 July 2020 Water markets in the Murray-Darling Basin need major changes to allow for open, fair and efficient water trading that benefits water users, communities and the economy, the ACCC has found. The ACCC’s interim report for its Murray-Darling Basin Water Markets Inquiry, released today, finds that the $1.5 billion-a-year basin water markets have outgrown the frameworks that govern them, and that change is needed for a market of this scale to operate efficiently and for the benefit of industries that depend on it. The report sets out the ACCC’s preliminary views on the Basin’s water markets, including the issues it has identified and potential options for addressing them. “Water trading has brought substantial benefits to water users across the Murray-Darling Basin, including by allowing irrigators to manage the amount of water they use , to earn income by selling excess water or their water rights, and to release capital to invest in their businesses,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said. “However, these markets have significant problems. In basic terms, there is overly fragmented or complex regulation in some areas, not enough regulation in others, and a concerning lack of regulatory oversight and robust enforcement in important areas.” “This has led to a lack of trust in the markets among many water users and has undoubtedly reduced the benefits generated by those markets.” “These problems exacerbate distrust when water is scarce or when demand is increasing. They make a difficult situation worse,” Mr Keogh said. The ACCC has identified problems in several key areas, particularly with the current governance arrangements for the Basin’s water markets.
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Post by dieseltojo on Jul 30, 2020 12:46:56 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/full-federal-court-dismisses-accc-appeal-in-tpg-prepayment-caseFull Federal Court dismisses ACCC appeal in TPG 'prepayment' case 30 July 2020
The Full Federal Court has dismissed the ACCC’s appeal against TPG Internet Pty Ltd (TPG) in relation to the marketing and sale of some prepaid internet, home telephone and mobile plans. The prepaid plans at issue required customers to make a ‘prepayment’ of at least $20 for the potential usage of services not included in the value of their plan.
When the prepayment balance drops below $10, TPG automatically topped up the prepayment balance to $20. When the plan was cancelled, the prepayment balance was forfeited. The ACCC’s case was that by representing this was a ‘prepayment’, consumers were misled by TPG into thinking they could use all the money they had prepaid for out-of-plan services, when this was not usually possible.
The Full Federal Court held that TPG’s use of the word ‘prepayment’ did not convey anything about the way in which TPG would hold and apply the prepayment, particularly at the end of the plan. “We took this case and appealed the previous decision because we considered that TPG was misleading consumers by not adequately disclosing the details about the mandatory prepayment,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“Consumer awareness of important terms should not be expected where they are contained in the fine print of a long and detailed contract or, in the case of online contracts, after multiple click-throughs.”
“We remain concerned that TPG’s customers were not able to use up their full prepayment, or get a refund for any unused funds,” Ms Rickard said. The ACCC will now carefully consider the judgment.
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Post by dieseltojo on Jul 31, 2020 16:10:26 GMT 10
Over 155,000 cars with deadly Takata airbags still on the roads 31 July 2020
At least 155,000 vehicles containing potentially deadly Takata airbags are still on our roads and with less than six months before manufacturers are expected to complete their recall of these vehicles, the ACCC is urging consumers to check if their vehicles are affected and if so book them in for replacement.
According to the latest ACCC figures on the compulsory recall, about 180,000 airbags (4.4 per cent of all airbags subject to this recall) in more than 155,000 vehicles (5.1 per cent of affected vehicles) are yet to be replaced.
“These airbags are extremely dangerous and have the potential to misdeploy, sending sharp metal fragments into the vehicle cabin at high speed, with the potential to kill or seriously injure the occupants,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“It is essential that you do not ignore or delay responding to notices about the recalls from your manufacturer. If your vehicle is under active recall, please act now to arrange for a free replacement.”
More than 6,000 of those vehicles are so dangerous that they should not be driven at all. These vehicles contain the highest risk ‘critical’ airbags, and states and territories will be de-registering them to take them off our roads. Some states and territories are also preventing re-registration of unregistered vehicles unless there is evidence that the affected airbag has been replaced.
“If your vehicle contains a ‘critical’ airbag, you should stop driving it immediately and contact the manufacturer to arrange for it to be towed or a technician to be sent to you so the airbag can be replaced,” Ms Rickard said.
Consumers who imported a vehicle directly into Australia from overseas are urged to contact the vehicle manufacturer’s Australian office to see if it is affected by the recall, and those who imported a vehicle using a business in Australia should check this with the business, and arrange airbag replacements if needed.
In the past three months, more than 40,000 vehicles have had their airbags replaced despite the pandemic, and a further 2,250 vehicles have been identified as no longer on the road. On average, more than 3,100 airbags have been replaced each day since the compulsory recall began in March 2018.
“There are only six months left for manufacturers to meet their replacement obligations, and while the compulsory recall is progressing well, it is important to get these remaining deadly airbags off our roads,” Ms Rickard said.
“Checking ismyairbagsafe.com.au to see if your vehicle is affected, and getting the airbag replaced if it is, is an essential step to preventing more deaths and injuries.”
Takata fast facts:
As at 30 June 2020:
In total about 3.66 million airbag inflators (89.2%) have now been rectified in about 2.68 million vehicles (87.8%). This leaves 180,869 airbag inflators (4.4%) in 155,351 vehicles (5.1%) remaining for replacement. An additional 262,725 airbags (6.4%) in 218,393 vehicles (7.1%) were reported by suppliers as unrepairable (written off, unregistered for more than two years, exported, scrapped, stolen, or modified and unable to have the airbag replaced).
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 7, 2020 17:43:16 GMT 10
Sumo Power allegedly misled consumers about electricity pricing 5 August 2020
The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Sumo Power Pty Ltd (Sumo) alleging it made false or misleading representations to Victorian consumers in relation to its electricity plans.
It is alleged that between June and November 2018, Sumo promoted 12-month electricity plans with low electricity rates and large ‘pay on time’ discounts of up to 43 per cent to residential consumers, while planning to substantially increase the prices charged to those consumers who signed up within a few months, or knowing it was likely to do so.
The ACCC claims that Sumo represented to consumers that it would maintain, or not materially increase these low rates and consumers would get the benefit of the ‘pay on time’ discount for 12 months.
However, in November 2018, Sumo substantially increased the underlying rates for certain consumers, by approximately 30 to 46 per cent. The ACCC alleges the price increases were in line with a pre-determined strategy, which Sumo had not disclosed to consumers. The ACCC also alleges that the price increases substantially eroded or eliminated consumers’ pay on time discount.
“We allege Sumo enticed consumers to enter into electricity plans with the promise of low cost electricity prices, while planning a significant rate increase which meant consumers were charged significantly more for their electricity than they were led to expect,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
It is also part of the ACCC’s case that Sumo subsequently misled consumers when advising them that the price increases were due to wholesale energy cost factors including generation cost rises and “climate change and ageing assets forcing the closure of cheap coal fired power stations”.
Sumo used telemarking agents to cold-call residential consumers and promote its electricity plans. The ACCC claims that, acting on behalf of Sumo, the telemarketing agents represented they were independent and would perform a comparison of plans across a number of retailers, when in fact they were contracted by Sumo to sell Sumo plans.
“Electricity bills are a major household expense for many consumers,” Mr Sims said.
“We allege that consumers were likely to have been convinced to switch to Sumo, acting on recommendations from purported independent consultants when in fact they came from Sumo telemarketing agents.”
The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations, publication orders, compliance program orders, consumer redress, and legal costs.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 10, 2020 13:30:04 GMT 10
Processors authorised to cooperate on Victorian chicken meat supply 10 August 2020
Ingham’s Group and other chicken processors will be allowed to work together to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated Victorian stage 4 restrictions on the chicken meat industry, under an urgent interim authorisation granted by the ACCC.
The ACCC has provided conditional interim authorisation to Ingham’s, Turosi, Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm and the Australian Chicken Meat Federation (the representative body for the chicken meat industry) to cooperate on a range of measures relating to their plants, aimed at ensuring sufficient supply of chickens and chicken meat, reducing the extent of any job losses, and managing the impact of the stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria on chicken growers and other parts of the supply chain.
For example, the authorisation would allow sharing or coordinating the use of processing capacity, essential staff, facilities and products.
“We recognise that these heightened COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria are requiring many businesses and industries to make significant changes to their operations, and this includes the Victorian chicken meat sector,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.
“Chicken is a staple of many consumers’ diets. This authorisation should assist the chicken meat sector to implement arrangements that maintain supply and minimise the risk of food shortages during the COVID-19 restrictions.”
“We will be carefully monitoring the conduct of chicken processors under this authorisation, and it is our expectation that any arrangements do not disadvantage chicken growers. This authorisation does not override any contractual obligations processors have with growers,” Mr Keogh said.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 13, 2020 12:47:11 GMT 10
Appeals process needed in Solar Retailer Code 13 August 2020
The ACCC is proposing to require inclusion of an appeals process in granting re-authorisation to the Clean Energy Council’s Solar Retailer Code of Conduct.
The Solar Code sets minimum standards for retailers selling solar photovoltaic (solar PV) systems to consumers. To be an approved retailer, solar retailers must comply with standards covering advertising, contract documentation, finance and payments, design and installation, and complaints handling.
“Purchasing a solar PV systems can be a large investment and a complex decision for a household to make. The Solar Code provides greater protections for consumers and is likely to help consumers make more informed decisions,” ACCC Commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said.
“As part of our re-authorisation, we are proposing a condition requiring the Clean Energy Council to include an independent appeals process for retailers who apply to become signatories to the Solar Code, but are rejected.”
“An appeals process will help ensure that retailers are not inappropriately rejected from becoming signatories. This is especially important because many retailers consider that being a signatory is critical for them to operate in the market, as it is generally necessary to access government financial incentives,” Mr Ridgeway said.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 13, 2020 12:48:41 GMT 10
Increased connection to higher speed broadband services during COVID-19 13 August 2020
More than 7.4 million consumers are now connected to the National Broadband Network after the activation of 383,257 new services in the three months to 30 June, 2020.
The ACCC’s Wholesale Market Indicators Report released today shows more than 255,000 households signed up to 50Mbps NBN plan, with almost 5 million customers on higher speed plans of 50Mbps and above by the end of June.
There was also an 11.9 per cent jump in the uptake of the higher speed 100Mbps plans, with 9.1 per cent of households now subscribing to a 100Mbps plan.
“Many more households have been at home during the day during the COVID-19 pandemic and have likely chosen higher speed plans to accommodate increased broadband use whether it be for work, entertainment or even for their children to attend school during the lockdown,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“Given the high demand for high-speed broadband during March to June in particular, we are fortunate that the NBN rollout is largely completed, as it has become an increasingly essential service for people to stay connected.”
The number of entry-level 12Mbps services decreased by 3.7 per cent over the quarter, while 25Mbps services increased by 7.4 per cent. There were more than 2.3 million households on 12Mbps and 25Mbps plans as at the end of June.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 20, 2020 12:25:07 GMT 10
HealthEngine to pay $2.9 million for misleading reviews and patient referrals 20 August 2020
The Federal Court has ordered that HealthEngine Pty Ltd (HealthEngine) pay $2.9 million in penalties for engaging in misleading conduct in relation to the sharing of patient personal information to private health insurance brokers and publishing misleading patient reviews and ratings.
HealthEngine admitted that between 30 April 2014 and 30 June 2018 it gave non-clinical personal information, such as names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, of over 135,000 patients to third party private health insurance brokers without adequately disclosing this to consumers. HealthEngine earned more than $1.8 million from its arrangements with private health insurance brokers during this period.
HealthEngine was also ordered to contact affected consumers and provide details of how they can regain control of their personal information.
“These penalties and other orders should serve as an important reminder to all businesses that if they are not upfront with how they will use consumers’ data, they risk breaching the Australian Consumer Law,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“The ACCC is very concerned about the potential for consumer harm from the use or misuse of consumer data.”
HealthEngine also admitted that between 31 March 2015 and 1 March 2018, it did not publish around 17,000 reviews and edited around 3,000 reviews to remove negative aspects, or to embellish them. HealthEngine also admitted that it misrepresented to consumers the reasons why it did not publish a rating for some health or medical practices.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 20, 2020 12:26:34 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/quad-bike-fatalities-have-almost-doubled-in-2020-compared-to-last-year
Quad bike fatalities have almost doubled in 2020 compared to last year 19 August 2020 In the first six months of 2020, 14 people, including three children, have died in quad bike-related accidents in Australia, compared to eight in the whole of last year. Seven of this year’s fatalities have been in Queensland. Quad bike accidents are the leading cause of death and severe injuries on Australian farms. Since 2011, 150 people have died from quad bike related accidents, 23 of whom have been children. In addition, six people present to hospital each day as a result of quad bike related injuries. This is why the Australian Government has introduced a Quad Bike Safety Standard, the first stage of which takes effect on 11 October this year. “Quad bikes are an important part of rural life but the ongoing fatalities and serious injuries are incredibly concerning. They highlight the importance of this new safety standard,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said. “For many years, manufacturers have been claiming rider behaviour is the major reason for the number of deaths and injuries. Their aim has been to shift the focus away from the unsafe design of quad bikes.” “The truth of the matter is, the inherent instability of quad bikes causes them to frequently roll over. It has been reported that at least eight of the fatalities so far this year involved rollovers, with four of them resulting in crush injuries,” Mr Keogh said. The design limitations of quad bikes mean many people – including experienced, mature operators – are getting seriously injured or killed, despite operating them in line with the vehicles’ marketed uses. Research from the University of New South Wales indicates that almost half of quad bike accidents involved riders who had 20 or more years of experience operating them, while less than two per cent of accidents involved an operator with less than three years’ experience. “As 11 October draws closer, misinformation and scare campaigns from groups opposed to the new safety standard have ramped up, and that’s been very disappointing to see,” Mr Keogh said. “Top of the list is the suggestion that because some quad bike manufacturers have threatened to stop selling in Australia due to the new safety requirements, farmers will lose a critical piece of farm machinery. If a manufacturer withdraws from Australia, others will willingly step in to provide the safer quad bikes.” “We’ve also heard nonsense claims that improved quad bike stability and rollover protection devices, as required under the safety standard, will increase fatalities as riders will have a false sense of security.” “If this argument was applied to the design of cars, none of the modern safety features would be available, and the nearly 70 per cent decline in road fatalities since the mid-1970s would not have occurred.”
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 26, 2020 7:46:30 GMT 10
www.accc.gov.au/media-release/tipping-point-for-affordability-in-energy-markets
Tipping point for affordability in energy markets 25 August 2020 Australia has a unique opportunity to restore energy affordability, according to ACCC Chair Rod Sims. Mr Sims was speaking via video about the opportunities in the gas and electricity markets at the 2020 National Conference of the Energy Users Association of Australia. “This dreadful pandemic has caused significant personal hardship and economic disruption for businesses but also provided an opportunity to reset affordability and competition in energy markets,” Mr Sims said. “We are very concerned about the widening divergence between domestic gas price offers and the LNG netback price, or the price LNG producers receive when they sell their gas overseas,” Mr Sims said. “This can be seen in both spot and forward, or longer-term, prices.” Mr Sims said the sudden drop in international prices should, in a well-functioning market, be reflected in the prices offered in the domestic market. “The Australian market is linked to world gas markets so when there are lower gas prices around the world, it is vital that Australian gas users get the benefit,” Mr Sims said. “The LNG producers need to explain why they are selling gas to domestic users at substantially higher prices than they can get from buyers in international markets.” “The recent dramatic reduction in wholesale electricity prices, which have fallen by around 40-50% for reasons unrelated to the COVID pandemic, represents an opportunity to reduce electricity prices and restore our international competitiveness,” Mr Sims said. The new Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct laws will ensure electricity retailers pass on to customers sustained and substantial reductions in their costs. “We expect those reductions in wholesale market costs to be long lasting and so to be seen in lower customer bills, and the ACCC will take action where retailers do not reduce their prices.” “Australia is at a tipping point in terms of achieving competitively priced gas and electricity, and we need to ensure that this opportunity is not lost,” Mr Sims said.
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Post by dieseltojo on Aug 28, 2020 14:29:54 GMT 10
Small businesses navigate pandemic, misconduct and scams 28 August 2020
A business contacting the ACCC between January and June this year was most likely reporting false and misleading conduct, asking about their obligations to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic or raising concerns about consumer guarantees.
That’s according to the latest Small Business in Focus report, which details the ACCC’s work in the first half of 2020 across the small business, franchising and agriculture sectors.
COVID-19 related issues affecting small businesses saw the number of enquiries to the ACCC in the first half of this year increase by 42 percent, compared to the previous six months.
“Around half of all the COVID-19 related contacts the ACCC received to the end of June came from small businesses in the travel, healthcare and medical supplies, fitness, and event management sectors,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.
“The impact of the pandemic on small businesses has been enormous and we have re-prioritised our work and resources to help businesses and consumers work through many of the issues.”
“Operating a small business is challenging enough in the good times and given the current crisis that so many businesses are facing, it’s important they can easily access information about their protections and obligations under the Australian Consumer Law,” Mr Keogh said.
In total, more than 3,000 small businesses contacted the ACCC between January and June 2020. Around two-thirds of those businesses were reporting potential misconduct, and one-third were enquiring about their business rights and obligations.
Small businesses reported 1,200 scams with $4.5 million in losses in the first half of this year. While this is fewer reports than in the previous six-month period, it is a more than threefold increase in losses.
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Post by dieseltojo on Sept 1, 2020 12:15:30 GMT 10
Ex BlueScope GM Jason Ellis pleads guilty to obstructing cartel investigation 1 September 2020
Jason Ellis, a former general manager of sales and marketing at BlueScope Steel Limited (BlueScope), has today entered a guilty plea in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to one charge of inciting the obstruction of Commonwealth public officials in the performance of their functions.
The charge arose from actions taken by Mr Ellis during the ACCC investigation into alleged cartel conduct by BlueScope and its representatives. The matter is being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).
Mr Ellis has pleaded guilty to inciting two fellow BlueScope employees to give false information and evidence to the ACCC regarding discussions he and those BlueScope employees had in meetings with certain steel companies. These matters were ‘rolled up’ into one obstruction charge, as part of Mr Ellis’ guilty plea, accepted by the court today.
“This is the first time an individual has been charged with inciting the obstruction of a Commonwealth public official in relation to an ACCC investigation,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
The matter will now proceed to sentencing and is next listed for a sentencing hearing in the Local Court on 8 December 2020.
Separate civil cartel proceedings filed by the ACCC against BlueScope and Mr Ellis remain before the Federal Court. In those proceedings, the ACCC alleges that between September 2013 and June 2014, BlueScope and Mr Ellis attempted to induce various steel distributors in Australia and overseas manufacturers to enter agreements containing a price fixing provision.
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Post by dieseltojo on Sept 4, 2020 18:34:10 GMT 10
Voluntary battery stewardship scheme granted authorisation 4 September 2020 The Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) will be able to establish and operate a national scheme for managing expired batteries under an authorisation granted by the ACCC. BSC was formed in 2018 with the primary goal of establishing a battery stewardship scheme in Australia that would see a significant increase in battery collections and recycling. Batteries imported by members of the scheme would attract a levy of four cents per 24 grams (the weight of a AA battery). Rebates would then be paid to recyclers to help offset the cost of collecting, sorting and processing expired batteries. Members of the scheme must agree to only deal with other members along the supply chain, with limited exceptions such as for pre-existing arrangements. The BSC estimates that only about 3 per cent of handheld batteries in Australia are recycled. Most batteries go to landfill. “This battery stewardship scheme has the potential to be an important tool for encouraging businesses across the battery supply chain to take responsibility for treating batteries in an environmentally responsible way,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said. “The ACCC believes the scheme can achieve significant environmental benefits by increasing the number of batteries that get recycled rather than going to landfill.” “There are also benefits from increased public awareness around battery disposal and re-use, and supporting increased research and development,” Ms Rickard said. The ACCC notes that by encouraging consumers to hold onto button batteries for subsequent collection and recycling, there is a risk the scheme may inadvertently increase the safety hazard of young children ingesting batteries or the risk of house fires. The ACCC’s current advice is for consumers to dispose of used button batteries immediately given the safety risk of serious injury or death if they are swallowed or inserted into the body. Young children are at the greatest risk due to their narrower oesophagus and tendency to place small objects into their mouths, ears and noses.
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