Queensland Government to mandate 4 star airconditioners (January 2009)
AREMA recently responded to the Government's discussion paper.  AREMA's response to the paper stressed the fact that the Queensland proposal would disrupt the current uniform regulation of airconditioner efficiency in Australia increasing costs for Queensland consumers and would be overtaken by Federal regulation in 2010.
Queensland government discussion paper          Queensland government proposal           AREMA's response

Installation of airconditioners by unlicensed installers  (May 2007)
AREMA recently responded to the Government's call for ideas to improve the level of licensed installation with a policy paper that dispelled many of the myths in this area.
AREMA's response                                The government policy paper 

AREMA supports the Insulation Council of Australia & New Zealand (ICANZ) in seeking government support for home owners to insulate their properties (7 July 2007)
According to the ABS around 40% of existing housing stock is uninsulated. ICANZ has recommended a subsidy of $500 per house.
(AREMA's letter to the Minister for Environment & Water Resources)

Changes to the NSW Government Greenhouse Plan
AREMA has made representations to the NSW Premier, protesting about elements of the NSW Greenhouse Plan developed without consultation with the industry, despite the potentially serious implications for the air conditioning industry, particularly from an OH&S standpoint.

The NSW Greenhouse Plan alleges that alternative low-GWP refrigerants are available for most applications, and that the NSW Government should prioritise suitable uses for alternative refrigerants and develop a timetable for implementation.

AREMA members expressed concern about alternative refrigerants being used contrary to manufacturer's specification, particularly in regard to flammable refrigerants with their attendant OH&S issues, as well as the fact their use would constitute an offence under Section 8 of the NSW OH&S Act.

A meeting was held between AREMA members and a representative of the NSW Government Achitect's Office, who are conducting a study on behalf of the NSW Greenhouse Office to investigate the feasibility of using alternative refrigerants within NSW public sector assets.

At that meeting AREMA members were assured that the study would look at possible future applications, within the context of good OH&S practice, and therefore would not consider at this time the retrofit of existing equipment to refrigerants contrary to manufacturer's specification and not in accordance with AS1677.

AREMA's support for the phase out of equipment using HCFC refrigerants (R22)
AREMA will urge the Commonwealth Government Members to follow the US lead and implement a 2010 ban on the importation of equipment using HCFCs to compliment the phase out of these refrigerants.