• Change text size
• Skip to content

• About us
• Contact us

• Environment home
  • Atmosphere
  • Biodiversity
  • Coasts and oceans
  • Heritage
  • Land
  • Parks and reserves
  • Human settlements
  • Water
  • EPBC Act
  • Arts and culture 

• Atmosphere
  • Air quality
    • Air pollutants
    • Air quality standards
    • Indoor Air
    • Monitoring and modelling
    • Non-road engines
    • Wood heaters
  • Ozone and Synthetic Greenhouse Gases
    • Legislation
    • Licences and reporting
    • Montreal Protocol
    • Ozone depleting substances (ODS)
    • Synthetic greenhouse gases
    • Refrigeration and air-conditioning
  • Fuel quality
    • For consultants
    • For consumers
    • For the fuel industry
    • For fuel quality inspectors
    • For fuel suppliers
    • National Environment Protection (Diesel Vehicle Emissions) Measure
    • Emerging fuel quality issues
    • Fuel quality standards
  • Reducing pollution from motor vehicles

• Publications
  • Air quality
  • Fuel quality
  • Biodiesel
  • Cleaner fuels
  • Ethanol
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas
  • Ozone

Download

• Used substances application form (PDF - 85 KB)
• Used substance reporting form (PDF - 188 KB)

About this document

The import and export of used or recycled CFC's, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform has been banned under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 (the Act) since 1996 without a used substance licence.

A used substances licence may be granted under the Act for the import or export of used or recycled chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), methyl bromide and bromochloromethane (BCM). A non-refundable fee of $15 000 applies for the grant of this licence and is payable with the application unless a waiver has been granted .

The Minister may waive the payment of a licence fee for a used substances licence if:

• a used substances licence is applied for the import or export less than half a tonne of a scheduled substances
• the Minister is satisfied that the import or export is for test purposes

In granting a licence, the Minister will consider whether the applicant is a fit and proper person. Section 16 of the Act lists matters to which the Minister must have regard in making this decision. An application may take up to 8 weeks to process.

A used substances licence comes into force on the day specified in it and stays in force until the end of the licence period in which it is granted, or any shorter period specified in it, unless it is cancelled or stops being in force for any other reason, before then. The current licence period commences on 1 January 2008 and concludes on 31 December 2009.

Quarterly Reporting Requirements

Holders of a used substances licence are required to provide quarterly reports to the Minister on the following:

• the quantity of substances imported, including country of origin
• the quantity of substances exported, including country of destination
• the quantity of substances manufactured, recycled or destroyed

The Ozone and Synthetic Gas Team checks all quarterly reports with data provided by the Australian Customs Service. Inaccurate reporting and late submissions are offences under the Act.

Further Information

If you require further information concerning any aspect of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Art's licensing system, please contact the Ozone and Synthetic Gas Team on (02) 6274 1237 or by email at ozone@environment.gov.au.