Consumer Affairs Victoria approve Melbourne Royal Showbags

Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors have officially approved showbags for this year’s Melbourne Royal Show with the showbags having passed the mandatory safety checks.

The inspectors examined 380 showbags to make sure they complied with the safety standards under the Australian Consumer Law.

The inspections uncovered 13 items that failed to meet either mandatory safety or information standards under the Australian Consumer Law. These items were either removed from the showbags or modified to meet safety standards.

Some of these items included toys with no warnings about button batteries and cosmetics without an ingredients list.

All toys with button batteries must have warning labels about the risks of button batteries and test reports demonstrating that the button batteries are not easily accessible. All cosmetics must have an ingredients list with the product.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, it is illegal to supply products that do not meet mandatory safety or information standards.

Businesses supplying unsafe products can receive a $5,000 on-the-spot fine, while serious and repeat breaches of product safety laws can lead to court action and penalties of up to $2,500,000 for individuals, and $50 million for companies.

Inspectors will be at the show throughout the day event making sure that showbags and stalls continue to comply with product safety laws.

The Melbourne Royal Show runs from Thursday, 26th September to Sunday, 6th October at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Victorian Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson enthused “The Melbourne Royal Show is a fantastic day out, and our Consumer Affairs Victoria inspectors have done a great job ensuring everyone can enjoy the show safely.”