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Question and Answer Tracking Details

9389 - "BITUMEN BANDITS"

Aplin, Greg to the Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for the Arts

Given the Office of Fair Trading has issued 14 media releases since 2007 warning the public about "bitumen bandits" across the State:

  1. How many prosecutions has the Office of Fair Trading brought against individuals involved in this activity?
  2. How many of these prosecutions have been successful?
  3. Of any successful prosecutions, what punishments were recorded?
  4. If no one has been prosecuted for this activity, what measures are being taken by the Office of Fair Trading to identify the fraudsters and achieve convictions?
Answer -

(1) to (3) Since 2007, NSW Fair Trading has taken enforcement action against fifteen individuals resulting in penalties totalling $22,510.

(4) Fair Trading is working closely with NSW Police and other law enforcement agencies in NSW, interstate and overseas, to identify itinerant traders engaging in unlicensed building and maintenance work. As a result of information provided by Fair Trading, a number have been arrested in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT. Criminal charges have been laid for various offences such as aggravated burglary as well as penalty infringement notices issued for breaches of consumer protection laws. 


Question asked on 10 March 2010 (session 54-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 183
Answer received on 14 April 2010 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 191