Member for Waterford and Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman is warning parents to be on alert when toy shopping for Christmas.
She said a number of toys had landed on a Fair Trading list as part of the office’s “Safe Christmas” campaign.
“Following inspections of over 5,600 toy lines across 266 retailers there have been six toys identified as unsafe,” Ms Fentiman said.
“Two plush toys, a wooden alphabet puzzle, a wooden number puzzle, a magnetic number puzzle and a rainbow circle stacker have been removed from shelves after they were deemed to be a choking hazard for young children.”
Ms Fentiman said inspections included shops and popup stores across Queensland.
“Considering the huge number of toy lines inspected, it’s good to see a very low number of non-compliant toys were found, which shows most manufacturers and retailers are aware of and sticking to their obligations around consumer safety,” she said.
“However, just because thousands of toys have been checked, this isn’t a free pass on safety matters.”
Parents should look out for toys with small parts that are a choking hazard, beware of button batteries and avoid small high-powered magnets which are banned from Australia.
“A good rule is the smaller the child, the bigger the toy.”
“As Queenslanders search for the perfect Christmas gifts this year, we ask you take a step back and be cautious about buying products from overseas websites,” Ms Fentiman said.
“The reality is that these products, especially toys, may not meet current Australian safety standards.”
