This year's showbags are packed, stacked and ready to go, with Consumer Affairs Victoria completing its final round of product safety inspections ahead of the opening day of the Melbourne Royal Show.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Nick Staikos today joined 20 excited kids at Victoria Pavillion for a sneak peek inside every child's favourite part of showtime - the Melbourne Royal Show showbags.
Consumer Affairs Victoria's experienced product safety officers were also on hand to demonstrate the potential safety issues and risks they target when inspecting showbags and stalls, and their approach to ensuring all items are safe for children to enjoy.
The product safety team conducted comprehensive pre-show inspections of more than 320 showbags and more than 2,300 individual items to make sure they met product safety standards under the Australian Consumer Law.
Inspectors found 15 products breaching safety standards, including unlabelled cosmetics, unsafe projectile toys, sunglasses missing supplier details, and children's toys posing choking hazards. All non-compliant products have been fixed or removed.
Consumer Affairs Victoria makes every effort to ensure that all products at the show are safe, not just showbags. Inspectors will visit stallholders at random throughout the event to ensure continued compliance with product safety laws and have powers to seize any unsafe products and issue on the spot fines of up to $5,000.
Serious and repeat breaches of product safety laws can lead to court action and penalties of up to $2.5 million for individuals and $50 million for companies.
Consumer Affairs Victoria has worked with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria inspecting showbags since the mid-1980s.
The Melbourne Royal Show runs from Thursday, 25 September to Sunday, 5 October, at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
As stated by Minister for Consumer Affairs Nick Staikos
"Showtime in Melbourne has been a cherished and enduring springtime tradition for Victorian families for 177 years, and our inspectors are on the ground working to ensure safety and peace of mind for both children and parents."
"Showbags are an iconic feature of the Melbourne Royal Show experience. Consumer Affairs Victoria's rigorous approach to product safety enables the thousands who flock to the event can enjoy the fun and fanfare year after year."
As stated by Melbourne Royal CEO Brad Jenkins
"We are proud of our ongoing partnership with Consumer Affairs Victoria and are grateful for the work they do in ensuring all showbags at the Melbourne Royal Show are safe for families to enjoy."
