Strong industry input for Code of Practice as December 31 deadline nears

Australia’s automotive air conditioning industry has responded strongly to the review of the Australian Automotive Code of Practice: Control of refrigerant gases during manufacture, installation, servicing or de-commissioning of motor vehicle air conditioners.

Automotive Air Conditioning Electrical and Cooling Technicians of Australasia (VASA) has received numerous individual responses and detailed submissions from key industry bodies and the training sector.

Originally published in 1997 with a revision in 2008, the code covers vehicle fitting, servicing, repair, disassembly, reassembly, commissioning, decommissioning and refrigerant recovery.

The update addresses changes in refrigerants and technology and aims to future-proof the code in the face of rapidly evolving air conditioning and thermal management systems, particularly in electric vehicles.

It covers passenger cars (including hybrid and electric vehicles), forward control passenger vehicles, off-road passenger vehicles, registerable commercial vehicles and omnibuses, and vehicles at end of life.

The draft Code is downloadable at https://vasa.org.au/copreview2025/ and open for public and industry review until midnight AEDT on Wednesday 31 December 2025.