On 1 December 2023, treasurers across Australia at the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) agreed to review the national, state and territory electrical safety frameworks for household electrical consumer products. The review finished in July 2024.
Australia’s existing system for the safety of household electrical consumer products (low voltage and extra low voltage) is primarily made up of different state and territory laws administered and enforced by the electrical safety regulators in each jurisdiction. The existing system has protected consumers from unsafe products for many years, but, over time, inconsistencies and regulatory gaps have arisen. These issues impede the system’s national operation and ability to respond to emerging safety risks posed by new technologies.
The review sought to improve or maintain safety levels while ensuring regulation is fit for purpose, efficient and effective. This included resolving inconsistencies and closing regulatory gaps to achieve national harmonisation.
The review was conducted through a partnership between the Australian Government Department of Finance and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in consultation with states and territories. This work involved targeted consultation with business and consumer stakeholders.
Review recommendations
The review made recommendations aimed at bettering protecting consumers, enhancing harmonisation, increasing regulatory efficiency and reducing compliance costs for industry.
Overarching recommendation
Australian, state and territory governments cooperate to harmonise and consistently implement household electrical consumer products regulation.
The Australian Government monitor the implementation of agreed recommendations and report to the Council on Federal Financial Relations.
Recommendation 1
Establish a National Meeting of Consumer Electrical Safety Ministers by revising the existing intergovernmental agreement for the electrical equipment safety system, with all electrical safety ministers joining the existing Ministerial Oversight Committee in the interim.
This recommendation should be read alongside recommendation 2.
Recommendation 2
Ministers should update the electrical equipment safety system framework to achieve:
- harmonised and consistent certification requirements for all jurisdictions
- national use of the regulatory compliance mark
- adjusted distribution of funds for projects of national benefit with increased public transparency and reporting of financial arrangements
- a process to ensure a consistent approach to post-market controls
- escalation processes to assist jurisdictions in reaching national agreement.
The updated arrangements for the electrical equipment safety system should be implemented by all states and territories through a revised intergovernmental agreement for the electrical equipment safety system (recommendation 1) and then implemented through legislation in each state and territory.
Recommendation 3
Establish a cross-government working group to enhance Australian representation and influence at International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) International Standards setting committees to increase suitability of international standards for adoption as Australian standards.
Develop guidelines for modifications that are routinely required when adopting international standards for consumer electrical products as Australian standards.
Recommendation 4
Develop a nationally agreed pathway for market-wide recognition of overseas standards that provide an appropriate level of safety for household electrical consumer products.
This pathway should harmonise existing pathways under the electrical equipment safety system and NSW system and be implemented through a revised intergovernmental agreement (recommendation 1) and updated administrative arrangements for the electrical equipment safety system (recommendation 2), with jurisdictional legislative reform.
Recommendation 5
Ministers should implement a fit-for-purpose framework for recalls of household electrical consumer products which includes:
- harmonised, best-practice compulsory recall powers for state and territory electrical safety regulators in their respective jurisdictions
- a recall protocol to assist electrical safety regulators and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to manage state-based and national voluntary and compulsory recalls.
The principles for this framework should be included in an intergovernmental agreement (recommendation 1).
Recommendation 6
State and territory governments should make changes to their respective electrical safety legislation to enable risk-based regulation of extra-low voltage electrical products. The legislative changes should lead to greater harmonisation and consistency across jurisdictions.
The electrical equipment safety system should be broadened to enable certain extra-low voltage electrical products to be brought into scope and subject to regulation based on risk.
Recommendation 7
All ministers developing policies to facilitate Australia’s transition to a net zero economy should make sure product safety impacts are considered.
The National Meeting of Consumer Electrical Safety Ministers should be central to cross-government collaboration on the development of policies with electrical consumer product safety impacts, and this should be made explicit in its role.
This recommendation should be included in an intergovernmental agreement (recommendation 1).
Recommendation 8
Electrical safety ministers and the standing committee of officials should consider opportunities for continuous enhancement of communication of product safety information to consumers and businesses to support understanding and confidence in the safety of household electrical consumer products.
This recommendation should be implemented through the national meeting (recommendation 1).
Agreement on reforms
The review's recommendations were considered by treasurers at the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) meeting in late November 2024. Treasurers agreed, as part of their productivity agenda, that Australian and state and territory governments will cooperate to harmonise and consistently implement the regulation of household electrical consumer products.
This will see the creation of a National Meeting of Consumer Electrical Safety Ministers who will, once established, oversee and monitor implementation of agreed reforms including investigating risk‑based regulation of extra‑low voltage electrical products (such as certain lithium‑ion batteries).
This will include exploration of the most appropriate mechanism for the safe disposal of lithium‑ion batteries.