Latest News

COVID-19 advice and support for automotive repair businesses

UPDATED: August 14, 2020 with details of metropolitan Melbourne Stage 4 measures. The below advice is largely based on information produced by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association and as such is relevant to Australian businesses only. AAAA has also kindly agreed to share with VASA members its excellent, informative series of webinars designed to help … Continue reading COVID-19 advice and support for automotive repair businesses

Federal Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar with automotive repairers

Independent automotive repairers have some great news with which to go into the holiday season, with the release of draft legislation that if passed, will make it illegal for car companies to withhold information from aftermarket workshops. A short consultation period will finish at the end of January 2021, with the law expected to come … Continue reading Draft legislation for mandatory repair data sharing released by Australian federal government

RRA Gas seeker artwork

Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) is more than tripling the rebate for recovered ozone-depleting and synthetic greenhouse gas refrigerant, with the launch of its ‘Gas Seeker’ initiative. From January 1 to June 30 2021, the rebate will increase from $3 per kg to $10 per kg when the recovered refrigerant is returned to your local gas supplier (limitations and T&Cs … Continue reading Refrigerant Reclaim Australia boosts recovered refrigerant rebate from $3 per kg to $10 per kg

podcast How to Save a Planet thumbnail

The podcast How to Save a Planet, which takes a more positive approach to climate change than the usual doom and gloom by covering ways which it can be and is being addressed, has an episode all about refrigerants that includes a method of refrigerant reclamation that seems quite alien to that established in Australia and, to … Continue reading A fascinating podcast about refrigerant reclamation in the United States of America

LDV EV80 vans are equipped with E-200 electric refrigeration units

Britain’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco, has added 30 all-electric electric refrigerated vans to its home delivery fleet. The 30 LDV EV80 vans are equipped with E-200 electric refrigeration units from Thermo King that feature patented power management that contributes to lower overall energy consumption, increased vehicle autonomy and higher efficiency and reliability. Using this combination … Continue reading Fleet of electric grocery delivery vans for Tesco

Mitsubishi 10 year warranty

Mitsubishi Motors Australia’s controversial 10-year warranty has been given the go-ahead by the ACCC despite push-back from the aftermarket repair sector. The 10-year, 200,000km warranty, including 10-year capped price servicing plan and four years of roadside assistance cover is extended from five to 10 years if owners have their vehicles serviced at authorised Mitsubishi dealers. … Continue reading Mitsubishi gets ACCC green light for 10Y warranty

Michael Bennett

Former Refrigerant Reclaim Australia general manager Michael Bennett has been reelected as chair of the Australian Refrigeration Council. VASA vice president Brett Meads remains on the ARC board as a representative of the automotive sector, while former VASA president and ARC chair Mark Padwick retired from his position along with Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors’ … Continue reading Michael Bennett reelected as chair of ARC board

Lawyer with flammable warning sign

A Flammable Refrigerants Review project being undertaken by Weir Legal & Consulting has found 143 different standards, regulations and laws relating to flammable refrigerants during a ‘stocktake’ of legal instruments that control the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration industries across every state and territory in Australia. Presenting the research results at a recent CCN Live conference … Continue reading Need for flammables licensing highlighted by ‘stocktake’ of standards, regulations and laws

HVACR technician

The New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is developing new regulations that will require technicians to be licensed by WorkSafe if they work with flammable, toxic or very high operating pressure refrigerant gases in commercial and industrial refrigeration, heating or air-conditioning systems. These regulations are expected to be in place by mid-2021, with … Continue reading NZ developing new licensing regulations for flammable, toxic and high-pressure refrigerants

Australian National Cabinet meeting

Automatic mutual recognition of state and territory occupational licences will now not kick in until July 1 next year, rather than January 1 as originally announced. The National Cabinet released a statement that bringing the changes into law requires “draft legislation to amend the Commonwealth Mutual Recognition Act 1992” and that this will be released by … Continue reading Automatic interstate trade license recognition delayed until July 2021

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tours the Century Batteries facility in Carole Park

Brisbane-based Century Batteries is investing $7 million its Australian manufacturing facility, which is expected to boost production to more than 1.3 million batteries per year with almost all materials and components also sourced locally.  Century, which recently gave Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk a tour of its Carole Park facility, employs around 600 people across Australia and New Zealand. It … Continue reading VASA member Century Batteries boosts Australian manufacturing