Submission to the Productivity Commission Draft Report: 'Right to Repair'

The Centre for a Waste-Free World supports the Productivity Commission’s examination of the ‘right to repair’ and the draft recommendations that have followed from its inquiry. We understand that this inquiry into the right to repair is being undertaken in conjunction with other actions by the Federal Government in support of the circular economy, including: the Treasury’s proposed scheme for the mandatory sharing of car repair information, the recent review of the Product Stewardship Act 2011(Cth), and the ACCC’s 2020 enquiry into agricultural machinery and the after-sales market (which includes examination of an agricultural right to repair). This inquiry also coincides with significant ongoing US policy developments on the ‘right to repair’

The Centre broadly supports the reform recommendations made by the Commission and believes that the adoption of these recommendations, via legislative changes and supporting frameworks, would positive contribute to slowing the consumption of resources/materials in line with the aim of a circular economy. We also support the Productivity Commission’s recognition of the fact that various factors currently restrict the ability and capacity of citizen- consumers to utilise ‘repair’ options. For example, corporate practices, design considerations, and lack of infrastructure and knowledge. The Productivity Commission subsequently acknowledges that enabling the right to repair is multi-faceted, requiring various regulatory, cultural and economic changes. We agree that progress towards a right to repair engages consumer and competition law, intellectual property, product design, labelling standards, and environmental and resource management. We also agree that Australia needs to implement appropriate legislative and policy responses that aim to generate, support and encourage the right to repair generally, and the right for consumers to access domestic repair services specifically. The implementation of such laws would bring Australia more in line with the US, EU and Canada’s approaches to the right to repair. Finally, we acknowledge that expanding the domestic repair market could bring about substantial social benefits, including job-creation, and overall support a green recovery for the Australian economy as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.