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FROM January 1 2015, presentation of an Approved Filler or Handler Certificate or License will become a mandatory requirement when purchasing refrigerant in New Zealand. RLNZ training manager Matthew Allfree told VASA eNews the licensing requirement will cover all refrigerants – unlike the Australian situation that allows unlicensed operators to purchase certain refrigerants such as … Continue reading NZ to adopt refrigerant licensing from 2015

VASA’s Annual General Meeting took place on August 2 at the QT Gold Coast hotel in Surfers Paradise. In his annual report speech, VASA President Ian Stangroome told of the successful secretariat move to Ormeau in Queensland, giving VASA a more efficient and centralised infrastructure plus dedicated office space and staff. These facilities are kindly … Continue reading 2014 VASA AGM report

THE Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA) is waging a campaign to prevent abolition of the Refrigeration Air Conditioning License in New South Wales. RACCA’s campaign has gained the support of VASA, the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors’ Association (AMCA) and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU). Industry was not consulted over the proposal, which … Continue reading RACCA fights to save NSW Refrigeration & A/C License

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has outlined how it expects industry to deal with the retrospective nature of the Carbon Tax repeal. Because the Carbon Tax repeal legislation will not pass before July 1, the repeal will be applied retrospectively once passed, meaning importers of synthetic greenhouse gases (such as HFC refrigerants) have … Continue reading Carbon Tax repeal: ACCC’s refrigerant pricing expectations

TWO people have been seriously injured in Perth, Western Australia by a vehicle explosion involving flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants. Both victims were occupants of the vehicle when hydrocarbon refrigerant was suddenly released into the cabin and ignited. The explosion involved a older commercial vehicle that was around 14 years old. Flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant, rather than industry … Continue reading Stop press: Two injured in Perth HC refrigerant explosion

THE European refrigerant fiasco continues, with the threat of antitrust action now hanging over Honeywell and DuPont in the European Union over HFO-1234yf while Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler is definitely allowed to keep selling new models that use R134a in France. As HFO-1234yf is the only refrigerant that meets the standards set out in the European … Continue reading Honeywell, DuPont face EU antitrust action as France clears Daimler

COUNTERFEIT refrigerants appear to be flooding the huge Chinese market, with the worrying trend of ozone-depleting R12 often masquerading as R134a. The news comes soon after Chinese authorities prosecuted two companies for producing fake Honeywell refrigerants and DuPont reached a settlement with a company in the Philippines for supplying fake Chinese-sourced refrigerants found to be … Continue reading Fake Chinese R134a is ozone-depleting R12

AUSTRALIA’S Clean Energy Regulator has released data on the carbon tax liabilities of companies affected by the carbon tax, with the combined bill totalling more than $4 billion in the financial year 2012-13. That’s a lot of money for a 0.1 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, from 546.2 million tonnes in the financial … Continue reading Carbon tax: cost-benefit analysis