The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has beefed up its powers over the horticulture industry, with financial penalties to back up the code of conduct.
ACCC Commissioner Mick Keogh said the changes had been made to the mandatory code based on industry concerns.
He said the previous code had issues such as an exemption for contracts that predated the code, meaning 70 per cent of trade was exempt. But he said new penalties and auditing powers should alleviate issues in the industry.
"There are now penalties associated with non-compliance of the code and they can range from reasonable amounts for individuals, up to $54,000 for organisations," he said.
source: abc.net.au
