Treasury has opened consultation on strengthening the post-market regulation of unsafe products under the Australian Consumer Law.
And frankly, it is overdue.
Australia’s current product safety framework is too often reactive. An unsafe product is sold, consumers are exposed, incidents occur, complaints accumulate—and only then does the regulatory machinery begin grinding into action.
Meanwhile, recalls can be slow, inconsistent or poorly communicated. Some suppliers disappear, liquidate or simply fail to properly engage with the recall process. Online marketplaces continue circulating unsafe products, and regulators may be left chasing information through a fragmented supply chain.
Treasury is now seeking feedback on nine possible reform options, covering:
🔹 Improving recalls and the sharing of safety information
🔹 Strengthening mandatory incident-reporting requirements
🔹 Giving regulators stronger powers to address product risks
🔹 Improving enforcement of Australia’s product safety laws
This consultation matters.
A recall notice quietly uploaded to a government website is not, by itself, an effective safety response. Nor should regulators have to wait for serious injuries before obtaining information or intervening.
A stronger framework should deliver:
✅ Faster identification of emerging hazards
✅ Clearer reporting duties for suppliers and marketplaces
✅ Better access to incident and supply-chain information
✅ Effective recall monitoring and measurable completion rates
✅ Stronger powers where a supplier refuses—or conveniently ceases to exist
✅ Meaningful penalties for businesses that ignore their obligations
✅ Clear accountability for online marketplaces facilitating Australian sales
But reform must also be practical. Responsible businesses need clear obligations, workable reporting thresholds and consistent expectations—not vague rules that generate paperwork while the genuinely reckless operators continue selling unchecked.
Importers, manufacturers, retailers, online marketplaces, consumer advocates, safety professionals and anyone involved in recalls should read the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement and make a submission.
If industry does not participate, it cannot complain later that the new framework fails to reflect how products are actually designed, imported, sold, monitored and recalled.
The consultation closes 18 October 2026, and responses must be submitted through Treasury’s consultation website.