Mackay Chapman March ACCC Update
In this month’s ACCC update:
- Competition and consumer trust for 2026–27
- Mobil penalised over fuel claims that were not true
- Resale price maintenance back in focus through drone supplier undertaking
- NDIS provider conduct draws sharper consumer law scrutiny
- Romance scam taskforce fusion cell results are in
We break each story down below.
Competition and consumer trust key for ACCC in 2026–27
The latest ACCC priorities speech makes clear where the focus is heading over the next year: cost-of-living pressure, digital manipulation, concentrated markets and conduct that chips away at trust.
There is plenty of continuity in the agenda. Cartels, misuse of market power, exclusionary conduct, unsafe products, scams and unfair dealing affecting vulnerable consumers and small businesses remain enduring priorities.
But the 2026–27 list also sharpens attention on areas where competition and consumer harm are now colliding more visibly.
Supermarkets and retail stay in the frame, especially where firms with market power limit price competition or make misleading discount claims. Essential services are another major focus, with energy, gas and telecommunications singled out for both competition concerns and pricing transparency issues. Aviation also remains under scrutiny, reflecting concentration, limited consumer choice and ongoing concerns about fair treatment.
Mobil penalised over fuel claims that were not true
Mobil has been ordered to pay $16 million after admitting it misled consumers about the fuel sold at nine petrol stations in north and central Queensland.
For varying periods between August 2020 and July 2024, the sites carried branding and signage suggesting they were selling Mobil Synergy Fuel with particular additives and engine benefits. In reality, that fuel was not being supplied at those locations.
Consumers were being told they were buying a fuel with performance-enhancing additives and engine-protection benefits. According to the Court findings, those claims were simply false at the affected sites.
The conduct took place across stations in Aitkenvale, Barcaldine, Berserker, Biloela, Guthalungra, Proserpine, Rasmussen, Rural View and Yeppoon.
Mobil admitted liability, cooperated and agreed to joint submissions on penalty and other orders. In addition to the penalty, it will also have to publish corrective notices, implement a compliance program and contribute to costs.
Resale price maintenance back in focus through drone supplier undertaking
Tekron, an agricultural drone supplier, has admitted engaging in resale price maintenance and given a court-enforceable undertaking after being investigated over how it dealt with resellers of DJI drone products.
The issue was not subtle discounting tension or informal guidance. Between April 2024 and at least June 2025, Tekron included terms in reseller agreements requiring DJI products to be sold at prices set by Tekron or agreed with it. It also communicated minimum prices below which resellers were told they could not advertise or sell those products. In one example, a reseller was told lower prices could be negotiated privately with customers but could not be publicly advertised.
Under the undertaking, Tekron must update its contracts and marketing materials, issue corrective notices to resellers confirming they are free to set their own prices, and maintain a competition and consumer law compliance program for three years.
NDIS provider conduct draws sharper consumer law scrutiny
A new report from the taskforce involving the ACCC, the NDIA and the NDIS Commission points to a troubling level of problematic conduct by some NDIS providers.
The conduct described is not limited to one issue.
It includes false or misleading advertising, providers charging for products or services not supplied, failures to honour consumer guarantees, weak or unfair contracts, questionable claims about specialist disability accommodation, scams affecting participants and misleading statements that products or services are “NDIS-approved” or funded when that is not actually the case.
NDIS-funded support does not sit outside ordinary consumer protections. Providers operating in this space are being reminded that disability markets are still markets, and the same legal obligations around advertising, supply, contracts and consumer rights apply in full.
Romance scam taskforce fusion cell results are in
The latest National Anti-Scam Centre fusion cell report offers a useful example of how scam prevention is becoming more operational, more cross-sector and more practical.
The Romance Scam Fusion Cell ran from July to December 2025 and brought together banks, social and dating platforms, law enforcement, crypto exchanges, support services, academics and, notably, people with lived experience of romance scams.
The goal was not just awareness but active disruption. And the results are concrete.
More than 1,000 suspected scam transactions and 168 suspect crypto wallet addresses were referred for investigation or blocking. A total of 377 scam websites, social accounts, emails and WhatsApp accounts were referred for takedown. New frameworks were also developed between banks and digital currency exchanges to identify and interrupt suspicious transfers earlier.
The taskforce produced frontline response guides, ran a pilot referral pathway for scam victims still engaged with offenders, developed a peer-support pilot, created a self-assessment “relationship health check” and built culturally tailored awareness material, including resources in Murrinh-patha.
Reported romance scam losses exceeded $28.6 million in 2025, keeping them among the top three scam categories by loss.
The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and it is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. It is designed and intended as general information in summary form, current at the time of publication, for general informational purposes only. You should seek legal advice or other professional advice in relation to any particular legal matters you or your organisation may have.
