Pubs are one of four sectors to be targeted in this year’s National Compliance Plan, checking consumers are getting what they pay for.
The 2019-20 National Compliance Plan from the National Measurement Institute (NMI) will focus on licensed premises, supermarkets, fuel retailers, and retailers of meat, fish and poultry.
This will involve visits to 10,000 businesses, testing 10,000 measuring instruments and inspecting 70,000 lines of packaged goods, as well as 1000 ‘secret shopper’ trial purchases, with NMI staff to pose as customers.
The Institute can issue infringement notices and fines of $1050 per offence.
If the breach warrants prosecution, fines can be as high as $210,000 per offence for companies or $42,000 per offence for individuals.
Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, says the audits play “an important role in maintaining a level playing field” and aim to instil confidence in consumers.
“We recognise that most businesses want to do the right thing and will usually quickly correct any errors, but where we find severe or persistent offenders we can impose fines or initiate prosecutions.”
The FY18 audit found around one third of businesses to be breaching measurement guidelines, including over 30 licensed premises around Australia caught under-pouring.
More than 50 fines were issued, averaging $1305.
For more information contact the national trade measurement hotline (1300 686 664) or infotm@measurement.gov.au.
