Clinton Brett

Founder, Diesel Help Australia

Topic: AdBlue (SCR) emissions-control technology for diesel vehicles

Seminar: As Euro 6 standards become mandatory, AdBlue (SCR technology) has become a standard feature for all new diesel vehicles including cars, utes, trucks, and machinery. Though it’s likely to be the final step of emission reduction in diesel engines, it’s still something that will continue for a long duration in the future.

Mistakes are often made when diagnosing AdBlue, EGR, DEF, DPF, NOx and SCR related fault codes.

From the experience of diagnosing a broad variety of systems, Clinton Brett will explain in his traditional, simple format, how the AdBlue system operates and few key diagnostics strategies used to pinpoint the issue.

Clint Flower

Technical Trainer, CoolDrive Auto Parts; Automotive Teacher, TAFE NSW

Topic: Diagnosing modern automotive HVAC systems

Seminar: As vehicle technology advances, automotive HVAC systems have evolved well beyond the simple compressor-and-evaporator setups of the past. Modern systems use high-pressure electronic control strategies more closely related to common rail diesel than traditional air conditioning, while hybrid and battery electric vehicle HVAC draws parallels with the residential split system in your home.

Technicians accustomed to legacy R134a systems are finding that the jump to R1234yf and electrified platforms brings unfamiliar diagnostic challenges, new compliance obligations, and a steeper learning curve.

From his extensive experience as a CoolDrive technical trainer and TAFE NSW educator, Clint Flower will provide the underpinning knowledge needed to diagnose modern HVAC systems across both refrigerant types, along with practical advice on maintaining ARCTick compliance in your workshop.

Scott Thomas

Topic: Vehicle Security Systems: A Workshop Guide

Seminar: Vehicle security systems have become increasingly sophisticated, with layers of transponder technology, encrypted key programming, and secure gateway networks now standard across most modern platforms. What was once a straightforward locksmith job has become a complex diagnostic challenge for independent workshops.

Common pitfalls include misunderstanding programming requirements, failing to account for secure gateway restrictions, and overlooking network communication issues that can leave technicians chasing their tails.

Drawing on his background as a technical writer and specialist diagnostician serving South West Victoria, Scott Thomas will demystify the operation of modern security systems, walk through transponder and remote programming requirements, and share real-world case studies that highlight the traps and how to avoid them.

Brendan Sorensen

Technical Director, The Automotive Technician

Topic: 48V to BEV: Electrified Diagnostic Triage Framework

Seminar: Electrified vehicles are now routine in Australian workshops, spanning everything from mild 48-volt systems through to full battery electric platforms. Yet the architecture differences between these vehicles remain a significant source of wasted diagnostic time.

Mistakes are often made early in the process: misidentifying the electrical architecture, chasing high-voltage faults before low-voltage fundamentals have been proven, and clearing diagnostic data before the critical evidence is captured.

From his hands-on experience as a diagnostician in a busy Brisbane workshop, Brendan Sorensen will deliver a practical triage framework for quickly identifying vehicle architecture, capturing the right first evidence, and choosing efficient next steps using non-intrusive testing methods.

Jeff Smit

Co-founder, The Automotive Technician

Topic: EV and hybrid market update from an aftermarket perspective

Seminar: Jeff Smit will present a concise state-of-play report on electrified vehicle sales in Australia, covering battery-electric vehicles and the rapidly expanding hybrid segment. The session will map the major electrified platforms currently available to Australian buyers, including full EVs (BEVs), full hybrids (HEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and the various mild hybrids.

Jeff will explain how these architectures differ in real-world use, servicing considerations, and customer expectations. With a specific focus on Australian consumer adoption of hybrids, the presentation will explore what’s driving hybrid demand, where adoption is accelerating, and what these trends mean for the aftermarket. Attendees will leave with a clear snapshot of where Australia is headed and how hybridisation is reshaping the market today.

Geoff Mutton

Co-founder, The Automotive Technician

Topic: Enhancing workshop productivity

Seminar: Technician productivity is one of the most powerful drivers of workshop profitability, yet it remains one of the hardest things to get right on a consistent basis. While every workshop owner understands the principle, translating it into daily practice is another matter entirely.

Many shops lack the structured systems needed to measure, monitor, and improve productivity, leaving significant revenue on the table without realising it.

With years of experience helping automotive workshop owners implement profitable business practices, Geoff Mutton will break down the practical techniques and systems used by high-performing workshops and show how they can be applied in any operation, regardless of size or location.

Lesley Yates

Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, AAAA

Topic: From fragmented to formidable: The power of cohesion

Seminar: Governments are moving quickly on the rules that shape how the automotive repair industry operates. Right-to-repair settings, emissions policy, skills and licensing requirements, and a tightening regulatory environment around refrigerants as Australia’s HFC phase-down progresses and the industry Code of Practice is updated – all of these are shifting at once. Fragmentation in the industry’s response isn’t just inconvenient; it’s a strategic weakness.

The policy direction is clear: tighter expectations around access to repair information, increasing compliance scrutiny across the vehicle fleet, and continued pressure on consumer protections. Mixed messages from within the industry cost influence at precisely the moment it matters most.

Lesley Yates will make the case that industry cohesion is now essential to protecting choice, affordability, and the competitiveness of the independent aftermarket. She will outline what’s coming from government, explain why alignment on standards lifts capability and reputation, and argue that a united industry earns trust, shapes outcomes, and sets the standards by which it is judged.