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A NUMBER of VASA members were among the proud recipients of prestigious Australian Auto Aftermarket Awards, held at the Crown Casino in Melbourne before an audience of 850 people. CoolDrive Auto Parts founder John Blanchard Senior (pictured below) was inducted into the Australian Auto Aftermarket Association Hall of Fame. In his acceptance speech, JB Senior … Continue reading VASA members scoop Australian Auto Aftermarket Awards

VASA is proud to be exhibiting at the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo for the third consecutive time. Members are encouraged to say g’day at the VASA booth (number T36). Free registrations for this trade-only event are available at aftermarketexpo.com.au. More than 400 exhibitors will occupy in excess of 21,000 square metres of the Melbourne Convention … Continue reading See you in Melbourne at the Aftermarket Expo!

IT HAS begun. The age of the affordable mainstream EV with range-anxiety-busting battery capacity is upon us. OK, at $59,990 plus on-road costs in Australia the Hyundai Kona EV is still a cool $24,000 more expensive than the equivalent petrol version. But to get anywhere near its 449km battery range you need to stump up … Continue reading Hyundai Kona EV on sale: 449km range for $60K

A PROPOSED national NZ Institute of Skills and Technology would take command of programme design, administration and enrolments for 16 polytechnic campuses and 11 industry training organisations (ITO) around New Zealand. ITOs would be replaced by employer-led Industry Skills Bodies that have no training management responsibility but would be in charge of setting standards and … Continue reading Big shake-up of NZ training sector proposed

THE Australian federal government has released consultation paper about mandating the sharing of vehicle service and repair information between car companies and independent repairers. Although this step toward a mandatory code has been broadly welcomed, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association has voiced concerns about the “language used throughout the consultation paper that relate to “exclusions” … Continue reading Cautious welcome for Australian government’s repair information sharing consultation paper

THE Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) has released a position paper on the use of flammable refrigerants in the workplace. It does not mince its words on the subject of retrofits: “Refrigerant gases must be compatible with the refrigeration system. This determination must be made by a competent person, who has experience in this … Continue reading Official HWSA position paper on flammable refrigerants

A PROGRAM of 10 free educational seminars has been announced for the 2019 Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo and co-located Collision Repair Expo that will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 4 to 6. Here is your run-down of the auto aftermarket side of proceedings: The free seminars start on the … Continue reading Aftermarket Expo seminar program announced

REFRIGERANT Reclaim Australia general manager Michael Bennett has stepped aside from the leadership role, having steered one of the world’s most successful and effective refrigerant stewardship operations since 1993. Mr Bennett will remain involved with specific RRA projects and support his successor as they take the helm in early 2019. He will also head a … Continue reading Michael Bennett steps down from RRA GM role, elected chair of ARC board

THE World Meteorological Association’s latest scientific report on ozone depletion has confirmed that the ozone layer has continued to recover and that levels of ozone-destroying substances in the atmosphere keep declining. With ozone recovery at a rate of between one and three per cent per decade since the year 2000, the report (titled Scientific Assessment … Continue reading More signs of ozone layer recovery