Tag: New Zealand

Major vocational training reform in New Zealand promises to give the automotive sector greater control over apprenticeships and traineeships. It involves a departure from the centralised model under Te Pūkenga, the country’s Institute of Skills and Technology and aims to ensure work-based programmes are more closely aligned with industry needs and job realities. The shift … Continue reading NZ auto industry welcomes vocational training reform

Cool-Safe has been accredited by New Zealand’s environment minister as a product stewardship scheme for the priority product refrigerants and other synthetic greenhouse gases. The organisation says a regulated stewardship scheme, with full participation, will help provide “better insights on the whole lifecycle of refrigerant, from import to destruction, increasing the impact of decisions made … Continue reading Cool-Safe accredited as refrigerant and SGG stewardship scheme in NZ

View from NZ with VASA New Zealand Director Catherine Tocker As the cost of living crisis puts pressure on household budgets in New Zealand, independent automotive repair shops are pushing for changes that could save customers money on vehicle maintenance and repairs. However, gaining fair access to vital technical information from manufacturers faces challenges due … Continue reading Choice of Repairer progresses in NZ

Cool-Safe ups refrigerant bounty to $40/kg New Zealand refrigerant stewardship operator Cool-Safe has announced a significant increase in its Bounty Buy-Back payments for recovered synthetic refrigerants, from $NZ25.00/kg to $NZ40.00/kg. Cool-Safe last increased this bounty from $NZ15/kg to $NZ25/kg in October 2022. Funding is derived from ‘New Zealand Units’ obtained by offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, … Continue reading Cool-Safe ups refrigerant bounty to $40/kg

View from NZ with VASA New Zealand Director Catherine Tocker A robust refrigerant stewardship scheme for New Zealand, backed by government regulations and aided by the establishment of a domestic end-of-life refrigerant destruction facility is edging closer to reality – but addressing the skilled labour shortage remains a key ingredient to meeting environmental goals. Uncertainty … Continue reading NZ edges closer to robust, regulated refrigerant stewardship scheme

A coalition of automotive industry leaders in New Zealand and the AAAA have joined forces to push for NZ to introduce mandatory automotive repair information-sharing laws similar to those now in force in Australia. The NZ Choice of Repairer campaign is aiming to raise awareness and garner support for this matter with New Zealand’s parliament … Continue reading Choice of Repairer campaign goes to NZ

New Zealand’s carbon market, part of the government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), has hit a two-year low this June, with carbon unit prices falling to NZ$48 (AU$44) per metric tonne of CO2 equivalent from a peak of NZ$88.50 (AU$82) in November 2022. Although this is unlikely to affect the price of R134a in the short … Continue reading NZ carbon price slump could reduce cost of refrigerants but raises other concerns

The Australian Government has announced a $A74.5 million investment scheme designed to help communities and business adopt electric, hydrogen-powered and bio-fuelled vehicles.  Specific details of the new scheme, called the Futures Fuel Fund, are to be announced soon. It is expected, however, that it will subsidise the purchase of alternatively powered vehicles and infrastructure. This … Continue reading Australian government announces $74.5m clean transport investment

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

NZ Warrant of Fitness (WoFs) extensions could have dire consequences for COVID-hit workshops

As part of national COVID-19 relief measures, the New Zealand Transport Agency is allowing vehicle owners a reprieve on mandatory Warrants of Fitness (WoFs) checks until October 10, but the NZ Motor Transport Association warns this could result in years of havoc for both workshop owners and motorists if left unrevised as lockdown restrictions lift. … Continue reading NZ Warrant of Fitness (WoFs) extensions could have dire consequences for COVID-hit workshops