The Australian government has warned childcare providers across the country to refrain from taking advantage of the upcoming lift in childcare subsidies to raise prices. This comes as the federal Labor government’s “cheaper childcare” policy will take effect from July 1, allowing Australian families with young children to claim more rebates for childcare costs. Federal…

Australia’s competition watchdog declared that the domestic airline industry sits at a “critical juncture,” with the lack of competition costing Aussies with more expensive airfares and declining customer service quality. In the last two decades, over 90 percent of domestic passengers flew with either Qantas or Virgin Australia. “Domestic aviation is one of the most…

The federal government will spend $58 million (US$38.64 million) to establish a new National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), which is set to open in July. Created as a pathway to gather all expertise and resources together to devise ways to prevent scammers from contacting Australians in the first place, it will be overseen by the Australian Competition…

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is setting up a new National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) to open in July. The ACCC has welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment and funding of $58 million (US$38.64 million) to establish NASC over the next two years. One of the critical purposes of the new centre is to gather…

A new report by the competition regulator reveals that many Australian social media influencers’ posts have been found to be potentially misleading. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) noted in its March 2023 Digital Platforms Services Inquiry report (pdf), released on April 28, that a range of potentially harmful practices occurred to consumers and…

The competition watchdog says it will oppose Qantas’ proposed acquisition of Alliance Airlines, an ASX-listed charter airline that mostly serves the resource sector. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said on Thursday it was concerned that the $614 million (US$414 million) transaction would reduce competition for resources industry customers in Western Australia and Queensland. “We consider…

Authorities have warned Australians to take precautions against fake text messages pretending to be from banks as more victims report losing their life savings due to sophisticated scams. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch, there were 14,603 reports of bank impersonation in 2022, resulting in a loss of $20 million (US$13.34…

The cosmetic, clothing, footwear, and food and drink industries have the highest levels of misleading claims around greenwashing, says Australia’s consumer watchdog. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on March 2 revealed that of the 247 businesses investigated, over half (57 percent) were “vague or unclear” about their environmental credentials. This practice is called…

Private-owned port operator NSW Ports has won an appeal case in which it was accused of monopolising container port services in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). The case was first brought by the Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2018 when the competition authority alleged the firm violated competition laws when it…

New South Wales Labor will cap road tolls at $60 a week if it wins the March state election, as the party seeks to overhaul the bloated toll network and press infrastructure operators for a better deal. Over 50,000 drivers would be better off under the plan, saving around A$147 million (US$101.62 million) over its…