Past news briefs PDF Print

Small Business Commissioner's office reaches 6000 dispute milestone
September 2009

The Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner has dealt with its 6000th dispute since its establishment in 2003.

Small Business Commissioner Mark Brennan said that at a cost of $195 per party, the VSBC offers a low cost dispute resolution alternative to court or VCAT action.

Download the media release here.

Updated Retail Leases Information Brochure
July 2009

The Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner has issued an updated version of its Retail Leases Information Brochure.
A landlord must provide a tenant with a copy of the Information Brochure when negotiating a new retail lease.

The new Information Brochure, which highlights the obligations of tenants and landlords, has been updated and is effective from 1 August 2009.

A copy of the new brochure can be downloaded HERE.

Landlord's conduct found to be unconscionable
June 2009 

A retail landlord has been ordered to compensate four tenants after being found to have engaged in unconscionable, misleading and deceptive conduct by the Federal Court in a decision handed down on 24 June 2009.

The Federal Court action was instituted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) against Dukemaster Pty Ltd, the owner of the Paramount Centre.

The ACCC’s action in the case commenced following formal representations made by the Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner.

The VSBC regards the decision as energising, particularly in light of its campaign to improve business conduct in Victoria (click here for details).

The Federal Court decision can be downloaded here.

A copy of the ACCC’s media release can be downloaded here. 

Welcome to the Small Business Commissioner's new and improved website!
June 2009

Welcome to the Small Business Commissioner's new and improved website! We hope you will find the site easier to navigate, and find the new information contained on the site useful...

There are a number of changes that regular users of the site will notice, including:

- a new system for notifying leases. This can either be done online as before, or a form can be downloaded and sent to the Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner (VSBC)

- section 21 (5 year waiver certificate) requests under the Retail Leases Act can now be submitted online as well as by fax or post

- specific sections for the three key areas of the Small Business Commissioner's operations (small business issues, retail leasing and owner drivers and forestry contractors)

- a better layout to find the information you need (e.g. new sections for notifying the VSBC of a dispute, notifying leases and downloading forms)

- a useful search engine

If you have any issues finding the information you require on the new website, contact the VSBC on (03) 9651 9967 or (03) 9651 9316.