Creswick Woollen Mills Pty Ltd

Creswick Woollen Mills Pty Ltd (Creswick), supplier of Creswick brand merino wool blankets, has acknowledged the ACCC's view that its "Australian Made" packaging and labelling claims for its merino wool blankets, including its display of the official Australian Made logo, were false and misleading in contravention of the Trade Practices Act (TPA).

The spinning and weaving of Creswick's merino wool blankets was done overseas, predominantly in China, with only the cutting and sewing of the blankets done in Australia.

Accordingly, in the ACCC's view, substantial transformation of the Creswick's merino wool blankets did not take place in Australia as required by the TPA where Australian made claims are made for a product.

Creswick has undertaken to amend the packaging and labelling of its merino wool blankets to remove all Australian Made claims, to remove from its website and promotional material any representations that make reference to the Australian origin of its merino wool blankets, and to instruct its retailers to remove all Australian made claims from the packaging of Creswick merino wool blankets that the retailers currently have in stock.

Creswick has also undertaken to publish an ACCC approved corrective notice on its website for three months and in major capital city newspapers.

Creswick acknowledges in the corrective notice that by falsely describing its merino wool blankets as being Australian made it may be liable under the TPA to compensate consumers who purchased the blankets.

Creswick sales and marketing staff will also undertake a trade practices education and training course designed to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities under the TPA, particularly in relation to country of origin claims.