Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a local resident in Seven Hills, detailing her ongoing problems associated with the recall of certain Samsung washing machines. In making contact with her, and subsequently some other consumers affected by this recall as part of a support group, I am starting to understand the intense frustration, hurt and disappointment that this issue is causing to many innocent Australians. I cannot think of a more routine and regular task than putting on a load of washing, and I am sure those individuals affected by this matter could never have foreseen what, for some of them, would become life changing.

Let's step back to a notice, dated 30 April 2013, on the website of the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading. It is entitled 'Electrical safety recall of Samsung top loading washing machines'. The notice reads in part:

Samsung Electronics Australia Pty Ltd is recalling six models of top loading washing machines due to a risk of fire.

… … …

Samsung has advised NSW Fair Trading that 150,000 machines have been sold in Australia through various retailers between 2010 and 2013, including 62,285 in New South Wales. Another 36,000 machines have been sold in New Zealand.

There have been 15 fire incidents involving machines around Australia, including six fires in NSW. Fire & Rescue NSW … fire investigators identified safety concerns with the washing machines after firefighters attended at least six fires linked to the appliances since last November.

Fires occur when internal water condenses onto an internal connector (motor connection) causing tracking.

The notice goes on to include the specific models of the affected appliances, statements by the Fair Trading Commissioner urging consumers to check their own models, and contact details for Samsung, including social media. That was around 28 months ago.

My constituent in her letter dated 6 July 2015 informed me of the following: in the last seven days three house fires have been caused by the affected machines; according to Choice, there have been 200 house fires caused by the affected machines since the recall commenced; and, again according to Choice, there have been 19 fires caused by machines that had already been serviced by Samsung technicians. But the parts of my constituent's letter that hit me above all else were: a member of their support group had been living in her new home for only three weeks when her affected machine caught fire—a fire that destroyed 80 per cent of her new home, leaving her and her family in emergency accommodation for five months—children were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and there is the trauma for a child whose home is burning.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated cases. As Hannah Francis reported in TheSydney Morning Herald on 22 May, the company is aware of 181 incidents in Australia involving the recalled models, including overheating, smoking or catching fire, since the recall notice was initiated. Indeed, in that article Francis refers to three fires in New South Wales within days of her writing it, including two in Sydney's western suburbs.

The scale of this problem is deeply concerning and deep concern has been expressed by consumers about the effectiveness of the recall, including questioning the effectiveness of the technical fix itself. And I note they are not alone in their concern. This needs to be remedied; this is a situation that has been going on for too long and too many innocent consumers are at risk. (Time expired)