> About OCBA  > History

The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs came into being following the restructuring of Government Departments after the State Election in December 1993.

At that time, the Department of Public and Consumer Affairs, as it was then known, also had the responsibility for the Public Trustee, the Liquor Licensing Commission, and the Commercial Registrar who was the occupational licensing authority.

From the former Department of Public and Consumer Affairs, there was a name change to the Office of Fair Trading and in 1994 that became the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs.

In the restructuring process, the Public Trustee and the Liquor Licensing Commission became separate agencies reporting to the Attorney-General, while the Corporate Affairs Commission, which had previously operated separately, was brought within the administration of the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs. The responsibilities of the Commercial Registrar were devolved to the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and the Commercial Tribunal was abolished in 1997.

Prior to the time of restructuring, the branches that comprise the present agency, were separate departments and variously located in King William Street, Grenfell Street, North Terrace (Hackney) and Pirie Street.

In June 1995, the Minister for Consumer Affairs relocated the various sections and established the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, as a division of the Attorney-General's Department in Chesser House, 91 Grenfell Street (except for Trade Standards which remained at the Thebarton Laboratories), under the direction of the Commissioner for Consumer Affairs.

What we do today

At OCBA we work to:

• Secure compliance with South Australia's consumer laws, including taking appropriate action to enforce the law when necessary
• Educate, inform and advise consumers and businesses on their rights and responsibilities
• Assist consumers to resolve disputes about consumer transactions, including the buying and selling of goods and services and landlord and tenant matters
• Encourage businesses and consumers to act honestly, ethically and responsibly
• Ensure that consumers receive fair measure in all consumer transactions and ensure that the goods they purchase are safe
• Maintain accurate and secure public and business registers
• Maintain civil registers of births, deaths, marriages and other registrable life events, certify these events as required and provide civil marriage facilities and celebrant services
• Administer and regulate South Australian bodies corporate
• Regulate licensed occupations and administer occupational licensing regimes
• Monitor the market and provide effective policy advice to Government.

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