- Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation
Visitors to this year’s Royal Melbourne Show won’t need to worry about dangerous items in showbags after product safety inspectors examined and tested more than 360 and found no cause for concern.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz spent the morning with students from Oakleigh South Primary School, who were provided with an exclusive preview of the showbags ahead of the show opening on Saturday 21 September.
Inspectors from Consumer Affairs Victoria checked more than 2800 items in this year’s showbags to ensure they meet safety and consumer standards before they feature at the Showbag Pavilion.
The inspections uncovered 30 items failing to meet either mandatory safety or information standards, with 22 items removed from sale and 8 items removed from sale pending further testing:
- Seven cosmetic products failed to include ingredient labelling, risking harmful allergic reactions to consumers with chemical sensitivities
- Six projectile toys did not have the required warning labels regarding the dangers of aiming at the eyes and face
- Seven sunglasses failed to include mandatory consumer information, risking eye injury
- Nine toys aimed at children aged up to 36 months old – two which have been found to be non-compliant and a further seven that will require further testing to determine if small parts of the toy pose choking hazards
- One battery powered drone will undergo further testing for inspectors to check whether the batteries can easily be removed, posing a risk of serious injury or death if a child swallows them.
It is illegal to supply products that do not meet mandatory safety and information standards under the Australian Consumer Law.
Businesses found with unsafe products can receive $5000 on-the-spot fines, while serious and repeat breaches of product safety laws can lead to court action and penalties of $500,000 for individuals, and $10 million for companies.
Consumer Affairs inspectors will be attending metropolitan and regional shows across Victoria as part of a state-wide inspection program, identifying and removing non-compliant and dangerous products.
As stated by Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz
“Showbags are an iconic part of the Royal Melbourne Show, and the last thing we want to see is kids winding up in hospital because they contain unsafe toys.”
“Product safety experts have examined thousands of products to make sure that showbags on sale this year meet our strict safety standards.”
“People stocking up on their favourite showbags can be assured there won’t be any nasty surprises.”
