Competition and Consumer Point-in-Time Service Updates

The Competition and Consumer Point-in-Time Service has been updated to include the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Act 2019 (Cth) (Act 115 of 2019), the Communications Legislation Amendment (Deregulation and Other Measures) Act 2019 (Cth) (Act 120 of 2019), the new principal Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes—Dairy) Regulations 2019 (Cth) and the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian-made Complementary Medicines) Regulations 2019 (Cth).

Act 115 of 2019

The Act aims to implement part of the Government’s policies to ensure well-functioning electricity markets that deliver benefits for consumers and small businesses.

Schedule 1 to the Act implements a comprehensive legislative framework consisting of new prohibitions and remedies tailored to conduct in electricity markets.

Schedule 2 to the Act provides the Australian Energy Regulator with the necessary powers required for its functions to set a default market offer and reference bill, including information gathering powers, making necessary legislative instruments, and information sharing with government agencies.

Act 120 of 2019

The Communications Legislation Amendment (Deregulation and Other Measures) Act 2019 contains a package of measures designed to minimise the regulatory burden on the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, and to simplify regulation by removing redundant or otherwise unnecessary provisions.

These include:

• removing duplicative reporting requirements for licensees, publishers and controllers to notify the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) of certain changes in control of regulated media assets
• providing a consistent classification arrangement for all television programs, including films
• providing greater flexibility to the ACMA in choosing the appropriate publication method for notices in respect of program standards or standards relating to datacasting
• reforming the statutory information collection powers of the ACMA and the ACCC, and their reporting obligations.

Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes—Dairy) Regulations 2019

These regulations prescribe a mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct. The Code is designed to set enforceable minimum standards of conduct for business practices between dairy farmers and processors of milk (including a retailer where they are the first purchaser of milk).  

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian-made Complementary Medicines) Regulations 2019 

These regulations amend the Competition and Consumer Regulations 2010 to provide examples of processes that substantially transform complementary medicines in Australia.    

These amendments and the new principal Regulation have been updated in the Point-in-Time Competition and Consumer Service current to 19 December 2019. (NB: Subscription required).

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