A pre-charged equipment licence is required to import refrigeration and/or air conditioning equipment that contains an hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant into Australia. HCFCs and HFCs are damaging to the environment as they are ozone depleting substances (ODSs) and synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs).
A pre-charged equipment licence may be required even if the air conditioner or refrigeration equipment is incorporated into another object, e.g. a car, caravan, or another vehicle (including Earth moving equipment). It is an offence under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 to import pre-charged equipment without a licence.
2008-2009 pre-charged equipment licences expire on 31 December 2009. To import pre-charged equipment during the 2010-2011 licence period you will need to apply for a new licence. Applications for a pre-charged equipment licence can take up to 60 days to process. To avoid delays in accessing goods imported in the new year you should lodge your application early. The standard licence application fee is $3000.
Once-off importers planning to import less than six pieces of equipment in one consignment may be eligble for a partial waiver of the licence application fee. The partial waiver would reduce the application fee to $400 and would result in your licence expiring five days after the equipment arrives. A partial fee waiver is only available once every two years.
- For more information about whether a pre-charged equipment licence is needed in your circumstances see the frequently asked questions.
- Product stewardship licence condition on pre-charged equipment licences
- Pre-charged equipment licence application form (PDF - 797 KB) | (Word - 369 KB)
If you are applying for a licence in the name of a trustee, all trustees of the trust must declare their suitability to hold a licence under the Act.
Equipment containing or designed to run on a CFC is prohibited
Equipment that contains chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and equipment that is designed to operate using CFCs are illegal imports in almost all cases. Unless an exemption applies, you will not be allowed to import this equipment into Australia.
If you are importing an old car with air conditioning equipment designed to run on CFCs you should engage a licenced technician to remove the CFC gas and disable the system so that it can no longer operate using a CFC. The licenced technician should complete and sign the CFC Compliance Form which you will be required to provide when importing your car to Australia.
If you believe you are eligible for a section 40 exemption you should contact the Compliance, Enforcement and Licensing Team directly.
Quarterly Reporting & Levy Requirements
Holders of a pre-charged equipment licence are required to provide quarterly reports to the Minister and pay a levy based on the quantity of substances imported at the end of each quarter. The levy is $3000 per ozone depleting potential (ODP) tonne for HCFCs and $165 per tonne for SGGs.
More Information
If you would like more information about the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act's licensing system, please contact the Ozone and Synthetic Gas Team.
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT AUSTRALIA 2601
Ph: +61 2 6274 1373
Fax: +61 2 6274 1610
Email: ozone@environment.gov.au
See also
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