ACCC Enforcement Priorities for 2017

You may be aware that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission publishes a Compliance and Enforcement policy each year that identifies the ACCC’s enforcement priorities for the year.

Rod Simms, the Chair of the ACCC, announced the 2017 policy recently and it includes a renewed focus on the unfair contract terms law protecting small businesses, which commenced late last year.

If your agency enters into business contracts with small business (which has a multi-factor definition, but it starts with having fewer than 20 employees) using standard contract terms, then it’s not too late to review those terms for provisions that could offend against the new laws.  The terms will be void and unenforceable if they do.

Queensland Government Procurement has published a summary of the laws on its website that you can access here.

Crown Law can give you advice about the application of the laws to your particular terms.