About Us

Introduction
Mission Statement
Vision
Values
Our Stakeholders
Core Functions

Introduction

Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading is a division of the Department of Justice. Information on the Department and how Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading fits into the Department's overall organisational structure can be found in the Department's Annual Report. However, for an introduction to Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading itself, keep reading!

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Mission

Promoting integrity, fairness and safety for consumers and providing a high standard of service to the Tasmanian Community.

Vision

Aware and confident consumers - fair and quality services.

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Values

The Office fosters the following values:

Fairness
Integrity
Quality
Respect
Unity

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Our Stakeholders

Our principal stakeholders are the Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection and the Tasmanian Government.

Key stakeholders are consumers, the wider business community and specifically those who need to deal with us as part of their legal obligations when conducting their business.

Our staff are important stakeholders. Our aim is to ensure that they are adequately resourced to perform their functions in a safe, harassment free and supportive environment.

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Core Functions

Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading comprises seven branches:

Births, Deaths and Marriages
Business Affairs
Communications
Compliance and Advisory Services;
Policy and Legislation;
Rental Deposit Authority / Residential Tenancy Commissioner
Security Agents Branch

Each branch has a high level of expertise to enable it to efficiently and accurately deliver services.

The key functions of each Branch are detailed below.

Births Deaths and Marriages

The Tasmanian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages became part of the Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading division of the Department of Justice during 2004. The Registry is responsible for:

Maintaining registers of births, deaths, marriages, deeds of relationship and adoptions that occur in Tasmania.
Registering changes of name for people who were born or reside in Tasmania.
Registering changes of sex for people whose birth is registered in Tasmania.
Providing certified copies and extracts of entries in the registers.
Providing data to Government Agencies and approved private organisations for statistical and research purposes.
More information is available at www.justice.tas.gov.au/bdm

Business Affairs

Respond to enquiries concerning business names, associations, cooperatives and chattel mortgages.
Process the registration of business names, associations, cooperatives, chattel mortgages and charitable collectors.
Ensure associations and cooperatives comply with annual reporting requirements.
Investigate the most appropriate options available for lodging documents.
Maintain accurate reliable registers.
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/business_affairs

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Communications

Develop and provide information about consumer and marketplace issues.
Enforcing mandatory product safety standards and investigating hazardous products.
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/product_safety
Licensing of travel agents.
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/travel_agents

Compliance and Advisory

Provide authoritative advice to consumers and business on consumer issues and legislation administered by the Office.
Provide guidance to consumers and business to enable them to negotiate a solution to their complaints without direct intervention by the Office.
Provide a limited conciliation service for disadvantaged consumers, (those who are not adequately skilled to present their own case to a trader).
Maintain a presence in the community to encourage compliance with laws administered by the Office.
Prosecute breaches of legislation administered by the Office.
More information is available at ww.consumer.tas.gov.au/fair_trading

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Policy and Legislation

Respond to the Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection on consumer policy advice.
Advise the Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection on arising consumer issues.
Provide policy advice to government on matters affecting the interests of consumers.
Provide effective legislative options for Government to address market failure that have the lowest possible impact upon business.
Represent and present Tasmania's position on general consumer policy issues at local and national forums.
Represent the general community on Competition Policy reviews of legislation which restricts competition.
Develop effective public awareness strategies on legislation administered by the Office.
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/about_us/legislation

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Rental Deposit Authority (RDA) / Residential Tenancy Commissioner (RTC)

From 1 July 2009 any bond for a rental property in Tasmania must be paid to the Rental Deposit Authority (RDA) either directly or lodged with Service Tasmania.
RDA holds the bond until it is claimed.
Existing leases prior to 1 July 2009 are not affected until they are either renewed or extended. Then a bond must be lodged with RDA.
More information is available at www.mybond.tas.gov.au
Bond disputes are dealt with by the Residential Tenancy Commissioner (RTC). The RTC is only involved when the parties cannot agree and there is a dispute.
The RTC considers evidence put forward by all parties and decides whether or not to agree to the owner's claim.
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/rtc

Security Agents Branch

Licensing of:

Crowd Control Agents and Crowd Controllers
Security Agents and Security Guards
Commercial Agents and Commercial Sub-Agents
Inquiry Agents
More information is available at www.consumer.tas.gov.au/security_agents