The National Environment Protection Agency (EPA), which was established on July 1, 2026, will administer the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Program (OPSGG).
This includes the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) and the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) permit scheme.
ARC issued a formal statement confirming it will continue to administer the permit scheme on behalf of the National EPA under the new structure.
ARC CEO, Mark Lamb, said the change will not affect the day-to-day operations of licence holders.
He said the council is working closely with the new agency to manage the transition.
"Licence holders are advised to continue meeting their current requirements," Lamb said.
"All current obligations, processes, and contacts remain the same. Existing licences, permits, and approvals stay valid, and members will continue to interact with the same systems and staff at the ARC,” Lamb said.
Previously these responsibilities were part of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
The new national EPA will be part of the Environment and Water portfolio and the Minister responsible is Senator Murray Watt from Queensland.
The portfolio also covers the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and laws regulating sea dumping, ozone protection and synthetic greenhouse gas management, hazardous waste, product emissions standards, recycling and waste reduction and underwater cultural heritage.
The role of the National EPA will include issuing permits and licences, environmental assessments and approvals, compliance and enforcement activities and the assurance, monitoring and auditing of the operation of accreditations, bilateral agreements and bioregional plans under the EPBC Act.
“The National EPA will play a critical role as the independent umpire Australia's environment needs,” Watt said.
"It will be a strong regulator that enforces compliance with our laws, while delivering better outcomes for nature and the economy.”
National EPA CEO, John Bradley, said recent reforms provide stronger regulatory tools and pathways to protect environmental outcomes and enable faster decisions.
“We bring together a wide range of environmental regulatory functions with a strong focus on timely, evidence-based regulatory decisions,” he said.
"We’ll help businesses of all sizes to understand, and comply with, their obligations - while taking stronger enforcement action where significant and deliberate harm to the environment has been caused.”