Tag: regulation

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

VASA, with input from the automotive industry and support from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), is updating the Australian Automotive Code of Practice: Control of refrigerant gases during manufacture, installation, servicing or de-commissioning of motor vehicle air conditioners (the Code). Having received good feedback to date and in the … Continue reading HAVE YOUR SAY: Public and industry review period extended for Automotive Air Conditioning Code of Practice until 31 December

Honeywell’s proposed R134a to R1234yf retrofit

By Refrigerants Australia executive director Dr Greg Picker With the start of the transition to R1234yf in significant numbers in new vehicles and the HFC quota likely to impact refrigerant supply and price, the mobile air-conditioning industry is trying to assess what refrigerants they can use in a retrofit situation.  The situation seems complicated and … Continue reading Retrofitting refrigerant in automotive applications: What are the current rules?

Right to Repair under review

Australia’s pioneering Right to Repair law is under formal review three years after implementation, with industry leaders pushing the federal government to strengthen the scheme and unlock its untapped economic potential. Introduced in July 2022, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme gave independent automotive repairers access to critical manufacturer data so that … Continue reading Right to Repair under review

Ozone Act review

By Refrigerants Australia executive director Dr Greg Picker To prevent emissions of R134a, and its predecessors, in 2005 the federal government made it a requirement for all technicians who worked on vehicle air-conditioners to be competent to do so, and have this status reflected in a license. Anyone who did not have the license was … Continue reading Licensing for car air-conditioning approaching a cross-road?

The Australian Automotive Code of Practice 2008 - Control of refrigerant gases during manufacture, installation, service or de-commissioning of motor vehicle air conditioners

VASA is working with the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to overhaul the nation’s 17-year-old automotive air-conditioning code of practice. The public consultation window will open in October 2025 and the project completion target is March 2026. VASA president Brett Meads said the organisation “recognises the importance of regulatory frameworks … Continue reading Automotive air-conditioning code of practice update underway

ARC Insights: Don’t fear the audit!

We often talk about the fear of the unknown, and rarely are such fears more unfounded than when an ARCtick licence holder is preparing for an audit, especially their first audit.  Officially these audits are called permit condition checks, and their purpose is to ensure that holders of a Refrigerant Trading Authorisation (RTA) are complying … Continue reading ARC Insights: Don’t fear the audit!

With Australian Refrigeration Council CEO Glenn Evans As a member of VASA, you no doubt know about the ARCtick licensing scheme for Australia’s climate control industry – you most likely hold an ARCtick refrigerant handling licence (RHL) or refrigerant trading authorisation (RTA). The automotive sector has more than 32,000 RHLs and well over 10,000 RTAs … Continue reading Inside ARC: A look at licensing and environmental Initiatives

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

Between April 19 and May 31, 2023, the Australian federal government received a remarkable 2700 responses to the proposed implementation of a Fuel Efficiency Standard (FES) from a diverse range of sectors, including the vehicle industry, climate groups, consumers, think tanks, unions, regional Australians, and individuals.  Continue reading Who is for and against the fuel efficiency standard including credits for low-GWP refrigerants?