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Ministry for Consumer Affairs
On 3 December 1973 a new Ministry of Consumer Affairs was created. (1) The administrative units responsible to the Ministry included the Consumer Affairs Council and Consumer Affairs Bureau, the Weights and Measures Office, the Prices Branch and Registry of Consumer Claims Tribunals. (2) The establishment of the Ministry also coincided with three entirely new acts of Parliament dealing with important aspects of consumer protection, namely the Consumer Claims Tribunals Act, 1974 (Act No.16, 1974), the Pyramid Sales Act, 1974 (Act No.33, 1974) and the Motor Dealers Act, 1974 (Act No.52, 1974).
Department of Consumer Affairs
On 1 July 1976, the Department of Consumer Affairs was established. (3) The main functions and authority under which the Department operated were those prescribed for the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs under the Consumer Protection Act, 1969 (Act No.28, 1969).
The following business units were attached to the new Department :
- Consumer Affairs Bureau and Council
- Weights and Measures
- Registry of Consumer Council Tribunal
- Prices Commission
- Rent Control
- Strata Titles Office. (4)
In April 1977, the positions of Director of Consumer Affairs, Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and Chairman of Consumer Affairs Council were combined. (5)
Commencing in 1977 the Department had embarked on a decentralisation program. It established major regional offices at Parramatta, Newcastle, Wollongong and Dubbo as well as additional Sydney Metropolitan Offices and a number of District Advice Centres throughout New South Wales.
The Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act, 1978 (Act No.60, 1978) brought statutory authority to the office of Commissioner of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Consumer Affairs, authorising the appointment of necessary staff and the delegation of the Commissioner's functions to officers of the Department. (6)
A major objective of the Landlord and Tenant (Rental Boards) Act 1979 (Act No.44, 1979) was achieved with the establishment of the Rental Advisory Service in March 1979. (7) The service was financed out of income derived from the investment of rental bonds.
The Rental Bond Board was attached to the Department between November 1981 and February 1986 (8) and, in July 1987, the Building Licensing Board was added.
A number of trade registration boards came under the umbrella of the Department, for example, the Travel Agents Registration Board; the Council of Auctioneers and Agents; the Real Estate Valuers Registration Board; and the Plumbers, Gas Fitters and Drainers Board. The new Department now also included the Rent Control and Strata Titles Office and the Fair Rent Board.
On 22 February 1983, the Public Service Board approved a comprehensive restructuring of the Department's organisation. The following four new divisions were created :
- Consumer Services Division
- Field Division
- Commercial Enquires Division
- Licensing/Systems Division. (9)
In June 1987 the Department of Consumer Affairs was composed of the following branches:
- Management Division
- Corporate Services Branch
- Register of Encumbered Vehicles
- Management Services Branch
- Human Resources Branch
- Adjudication Branch
- Planning and Research Division
- Policy and Research Branch
- Communications Branch
- Codes and Standard Branch
- Operations Division
- Compliance Branch
- Legal Branch
- Consumer Services Branch
- Property Branch. (10)
In accordance with moves towards uniformity of consumer protection law across Australia, the Consumer Protection Act 1969 was superseded, in June 1987, by the Fair Trading Act 1987 (Act No.68, 1987). This Act provided New South Wales with uniform fair trading based on the consumer protection provisions of the Commonwealth Trade Practices Act 1974.
In May 1988, the Department of Consumer Affairs was amalgamated with the Department of Co-operative Societies, the Corporate Affairs Commission, and the Department of Industrial Development of Decentralisation to form Business and Consumer Affairs. (11)
Endnotes
1. NSW Parliamentary Record. Loose-leaf edition p.286.
2. Report of the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council upon the activities of the Council and Consumer Affairs Bureau 1974, p.29. In NSW Parliamentary Papers 1974-75, Vol.1, p.545.
3. Report of the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council upon the Activities of the Council and of the Consumer Affairs Bureau for the year 30 June, 1977 p.9 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78, Vol. 5, p.85.
4. Report of the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council upon the Activities of the Council and of the Consumer Affairs Bureau for the year 30 June, 1976 p.9 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78, Vol. 5, p.9.
5. Department of Consumer Affairs, Annual Report, 1978, p.7 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1978-79, Vol. 2, p.861.
6. Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act, 1978 Schedule 2. Amendments to section 15 of the Principal (1969) Act.
7. Department of Consumer Affairs, Annual Report, 1979, p.79 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1979-80, Vol. 5, p.271.
8. Archives Authority of NSW. Concise Guide. 2nd edition, Sydney 1992. Rental Bond Board.
9. Department of Consumer Affairs Annual Report 1982-3, p.7.
10. NSW Government Directory, 1987, pp.87-89.
11. New South Wales Government Gazette No.85, 13 May 1988, p.2650.
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