Gary Newcombe has taken the baton to become Western Australia's new Commissioner for Consumer Protection.
He replaces Lanie Chopping, who has been appointed as interim Director General for the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
Mr Newcombe has 40 years' experience working in the Commonwealth and State public sectors and for the Western Australian Parliament, primarily in the areas of legal services, corporate investigations, policy development, community education and service delivery.
He has served for 21 years as a Director with Consumer Protection, including numerous periods in the Commissioner's role. During this time, Mr Newcombe led the establishment of Consumer Protection's consumer education program, the implementation of FuelWatch, the development and implementation of the Australian Consumer Law in WA and the creation of the Consumer Protection Awards.
Since the creation of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), through the amalgamation of Commerce and Mines and Petroleum in 2017, Mr Newcombe has been a member of the DMIRS Corporate Executive and Executive Director Service Delivery, with responsibility for the department's licensing, legal and customer information services.
As stated by Commerce Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"I thank Lanie Chopping for her many years of service with Consumer Protection, especially during these challenging times with COVID-19 significantly affecting consumers.
"Her strong leadership assisted the McGowan Government to quickly enact emergency laws and COVID-19 support schemes, and I wish her well in her new role.
"Gary Newcombe brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position of Commissioner for Consumer Protection.
"I look forward to working with him, in particular on the development of a Consumer Justice Strategy for Western Australia that I've asked the Commissioner to lead.
"The Consumer Justice Strategy will outline legislative reforms, policy development and strategic priorities for consumer protection and fair trading in WA for the coming years."
