Product Regulations Websites in Australia: An Overview

Planning to import or manufacture products in Australia? In this guide, we list official government websites covering product regulations and safety standards in Australia. The listed websites cover a wide range of products and regulations – including children’s products, furniture, vehicles, electronics, food packaging, and more.

PRODUCTSAFETY.GOV.AU (Link)

Productsafety.gov.au provides detailed information about Australian compliance requirements applicable to a broad range of consumer products. The websites include an overview of Mandatory standards applicable to toys, furniture, bicycles, children’s wear, and many other product categories.

Each page lists detailed information about the standards, key requirements, labeling samples, and lab testing requirements.

Productsafety.gov.au is easy to navigate and makes it relatively easy for importers and manufacturers to quickly identify applicable safety requirements, and understand what they mean in practice. Regulators in the EU and the United States could learn a thing or two from this website if you ask me.

You can also visit Productsafety.gov.au to stay up to date on the latest product recalls in Australia, learn about fines and penalties, sourcing guidelines, and more.

Product Examples

• Children’s products
• Furniture & home
• Cosmetics
• Electronics
• Outdoor products
• Food & groceries
• Construction materials
• Vehicles

Important Pages

• Mandatory standards (Link)
• Products (Link)
• Product testing (Link)
• Responsible sourcing of products (Link)
• Fines & penalties (Link)
• Recalls (Link)

EESS.GOV.AU (Link)

The official website of the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) provides information about Australian product compliance requirements applicable to electronic products and electrical equipment. Here you’ll find information about certification requirements, standards, RCM and other labeling requirements, lab testing requirements, and much more.

It also covers topics such as manufacturer and importer responsibility and market surveillance information.

Product Examples

• Consumer electronics
• Machinery
• Electrical equipment

Important Pages

• Steps for Compliance with EESS (Link)
• Essential Safety Criteria (Link)
• The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) (General) (Link)
• Certification (General) (Link)
• Testing and Testing Laboratories (Link)
• Manufacturers and Importers – Responsible Suppliers (Link)

ACMA.GOV.AU (Link)

The official website of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) provides information concerning telecommunications equipment, radiocommunications equipment, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Hence, this website is relevant for a wide range of consumer electronics and electrical equipment – in particular products that are WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 5G, or LTE enabled.

The website provides a detailed 5-step compliance process for importers and manufacturers.

Process

Step 1: Confirm applicable rules

Step 2: Demonstrate product compliance

Step 3: Sign and keep records

Step 4: Responsible supplier registration

Step 5: Product labeling

Important Pages

• The General Equipment Rules (Link)
• 5 steps for suppliers (Link)

FOODSTANDARDS.GOV.AU

The official website of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) provides information concerning compliance requirements applicable to food and food packaging in both Australia and New Zealand. The website covers chemicals in food packaging, packaging labeling requirements, and much more.

Important Pages

• Chemicals in food packaging (Link)
• Labelling (Link)
• Food Standards Code (Link)

INDUSTRIALCHEMICALS.GOV.AU

This website provides information about chemical restrictions in Australia, covering consumer products, cosmetics, plastics, paints, and much more. Here you’ll find what importers and manufacturers must know about registration, obligations, and record keeping.

That said, the first thing you might want to do is to check if your product requires categorization or registration. You can find more information about that in the link below.

The website also has a contact form. However, they do not provide guidance on labeling or lab testing requirements.

Important Pages

• Getting started: registration, importing and manufacturing (Link)
• Introductions that don’t require categorisation and registration (Link)
• Register your business and renew your registration (Link)
• Personal care, skincare, make-up and other cosmetic products (Link)

TGA.GOV.AU (Link)

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website provides information about Australian compliance requirements applicable to medical devices. Here you’ll find information about the conformity assessment process, declarations, lab testing, labeling, and more.

The website also provides both email and phone contact details for premarket and postmarket inquiries.

ACCC.GOV.AU

The website of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is not primarily a product compliance information website but does have valuable information about related topics such as country of origin claims and food labeling.

That said, the ACCC also operates Productsafety.gov.au, which provides far more information on consumer product regulations.

The website also has an info center with contact details to the ACCC. They provide support both for consumers and businesses.

Important Pages

• Country of origin labelling FAQs (Link)
• Food labelling FAQs (Link)
• Contact the ACCC (Link)

LEGISLATION.GOV.AU

The Federal Register of Legislation website is the central database for Australian regulations, including those applicable to the safety of consumer products. The table below links to some of these regulations.