The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has issued a statement reminding refrigeration and air conditioning technicians and businesses that the financial consequences of non-compliance have recently increased.
From 1 July 2026, the Commonwealth penalty unit increased from $330 to $364 under section 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914.
This means fines for offences linked to penalty units have also increased. A penalty unit is a standard monetary multiplier set by law.
This unit determines the total cost of a fine or legal penalty by multiplying the number of units assigned to an offense by the current dollar value.
It is more important than ever to ensure all work is fully compliant with legal requirements to safeguard the environment and protect the hip pocket.
Penalties apply to unlicensed work, unauthorised trading, false representations and breaches of permit conditions.
Fines for these offences range from $21,840 for individuals to $109,200 for corporations. The most severe penalties apply to unlawful discharges of high-GWP refrigerants, which can result in fines of up to $145,600 for individuals and $728,000 for corporations.
ARC urges all ARCtick permit holders to maintain strict compliance to avoid these increased penalties.
It is strongly recommended to :
- ensure your licence is valid
- confirm your scope of work to ensure your licence covers the specific tasks you are performing
- ensure all records are accurate to meet compliance standards.
Working with an expired licence, or outside the scope of a licence, can lead to substantial penalties under the new rates.
For more information, ARC has published Fact Sheet 11 which can be viewed at www.arctick.org/information/fact-sheets/.