The Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board

The Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board (the Board) administers the fire protection division of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Regulations 1995 (the Regulations) on behalf of the Australian Government.

Functions of the Board include:

• Identification, promotion, and support of 'best practice' activities throughout the fire protection industry.
• Management of the permit and licensing system to ensure applicants meet minimum standards of competency prior to granting of Extinguishing Agent Handling Licences (EAHL) and Extinguishing Agent Trading Authorisations (EATA).
• Implementation of effective communication and consultation with the fire protection industry to encourage and facilitate regulatory compliance.
• Development and distribution of ozone depleting substance and synthetic greenhouse gas (ODS & SGG) learning and assessment resources to support those working in the fire protection industry.

• Undertaking review and audit activities to ensure fire protection industry compliance with the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989 (the Act).       

Recent News

Santos Port Bonython goes green

31 MARCH 2020

Santos, one of the most prominent independent oil and gas producers in the Asia-Pacific region, is shifting towards environmentally cleaner extinguishing agents. Santos removed all of its HCFC Blend A cylinders from their Port Bonython processing facility in South Australia, replacing it with fluorinated ketone. To learn more about Santos' decision-making process, read our latest GasBag by clicking here.

HFC quota reduction

15 FEBRUARY 2020

Australia is gradually reducing the annual import quota on bulk hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) every two years, starting 1 January 2020.The annual import quota will reduce from 8 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent  (CO2-e) for calendar years 2018 and 2019 to 7.25 million tonnes  CO2-e annually for 2020 and 2021.HFCs will continue to be widely available in the short term. 

For more information, please visit  www.environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/hfc-phase-down.

Regulatory amendments 

10 JANUARY 2020

Changes to the  Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995   came into effect on 1 January 2020.  The key changes are: 

• Charging of fire protection equipment with a scheduled substance that has a higher global warming potential than the equipment was designed to use is banned.

• Permits can be cancelled or suspended if a permit holder does not have the necessary knowledge, ability and experience to competently carry out work.

• Application fees can be refunded, subject to certain conditions.

• Licences can be granted to import equipment using bulk HCFC for test, monitoring, laboratory and analytical purposes where no practical alternative exists.

• Bulk HCFC can only be used to maintain existing fire protection equipment (manufactured or imported before 1 January 2020).      

2020 permit fees 

1 JANUARY 2020

The  Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995  (Regulation 346) provides for the annual indexation of permit application fees.  Consistent with the Wage Price Index figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in November 2019, fire protection permit application fees will increase by 2.231 per cent from 1 January 2020. The following table shows the permit fees and durations for 2019 and 2020.