Australia
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Reported data

About data

ODS consumption

‘Consumption‘ is calculated as Production (if any) + imports - exports.

ODS production

‘Production’ is calculated as the amount produced – amount destroyed – amount used as feedstock. It excludes amounts recycled and reused.

Destruction of controlled substances

Import/export of recovered/recycled/reclaimed substances

HCFC consumption

‘Consumption’ is calculated as production + imports – exports.

HCFC production

‘Production’ is calculated as the amount produced – amount destroyed – amount used as feedstock. It excludes amounts recycled and reused.

HFC consumption

‘Consumption‘ is calculated as Production (if any) + imports - exports.

HFC production

‘Production’ is calculated as the amount produced – amount destroyed – amount used as feedstock. It excludes amounts recycled and reused.

At a glance

Focal points:

  • Ms. Annie Gabriel NFP FPLS
    Assistant Director
    Mercury, Ozone and Climate Protection Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

Status of Ratification:

Vienna Convention 1987-09-16 Ac
Montreal Protocol 1989-05-19 R
London Amendment 1992-08-11 At
Copenhagen Amendment 1994-06-30 At
Montreal Amendment 1999-01-05 At
Beijing Amendment 2005-08-17 At
Kigali Amendment 2017-10-27 At
  • Ac - Accession
  • R - Ratification
  • At - Acceptance
  • Ap - Approval
  • Sc - Succession
Establishment of ODS licensing system: Yes
Establishment of HFC licensing system: Yes
Date HFC Licensing System Reported: 2019-07-24
Click here to view status of HFC licensing systems for all parties
Submitted Legislation or Regulations:
About exemptions

Approved critical uses

Approved amounts for critical use exemptions: The Parties may decide from time to time to allow critical essential uses of methyl bromide as requested... Read more

Amounts consumed for laboratory and analytical uses

Laboratory and analytical uses: The parties have decided on a global exemption until 31 December 2021 concerning certain ozone depleting substances fo... Read more
Quarantine and pre-shipment uses: methyl bromide for quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) applications is used to control pests and pathogens in certain imported and exported commodities, and QPS uses are not included in the calculated levels of consumption and production.

Research, development, public awareness and exchange of information (Article 9)

Several countries have reported every two years on activities undertaken by them with respect to promotion of research, development and exchange of information on best technologies, possible alternatives to controlled substances and costs and benefits of relevant control strategies and promoting public awareness.

Year of submission: 1991 1996 20092019
Submitted Publications:
2009 ODS and SGGs in Australia: A study of end uses, emissions and opportunities for reclamation
Click here for an overview of reports submitted by all parties.

Environmentally sound management of banks of ODS: Strategies (Decision XX/7(5))

Parties are encouraged to develop or consider further improvements in national and/or regional strategies relating to venting, leakage or emission of ozone-depleting substances and the management of banks including measures to combat illegal trade. Parties are invited to submit their strategies and subsequent updates purpose of sharing information and experiences.

Year of submission: 2011
Click here for an overview of strategies submitted by all parties.

Avoiding the unwanted import of products and equipment containing or relying on hydrochlorofluorocarbons (Decision XXVII/8)

The Ozone Secretariat maintains a list of those parties that have indicated they do not want to receive products and equipment containing or relying on HCFC.

Year of submission: 2016
Click here to access the list.

Reclamation facilities reported by the Parties (Decision VI/19(4))

Parties report periodically on the reclamation facilities and their capacities available in their countries.

Party Report Date Facility Name Address Reclaimed Substances Capacity Remarks
Australia 1998-10-26 Refrigerant Reclaim Australia Ltd. ODSs Recovers, reclaims and destroys ODSs
Australia 1996-06-12 Pacific Chemical Industries CFC-11, CFC-12 and HCFC-22 48 tons/yr (Closed end of 1995)
Australia 1996-06-12 DASCEM Halon Bank Halons While not reclamation, stores cylinders of Halon after decommissioning
Click here for the list of facilities reported by all parties.

Information reported by the Parties on illegal trade (Decision XIV/7 (7))

Parties are invited to report to the Ozone Secretariat fully proved cases of illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances.

Party Seizure Date Year Substances Traded Volume Importing Exporting Country Illegal Trade Details Action Taken Remarks
Australia 12 July, 2022 HFC-134a 48kg Bulk HFC-134a in non-refillable cylinders detected at border. Importer was found to be unlicensed. Cylinders seized and the importer issued a seizure notice.
Australia 27 May, 2022 HFC-134a 4.1 kg from United States to Australia Bulk HFC-134a in non-refillable cylinders detected at border. Importer was found to be unlicensed. Cylinders seized and the importer issued a seizure notice. Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 17 March, 2022 HFC-134a 32kg From United States of America to Australia Equipment containing HFC-134a detected at border. Importer was unlicensed. Equipment seized and the importer issued a seizure notice.
Australia 19 Apr, 2022 HFC-134a 1.4 kg from United States to Australia Bulk HFC-134a in non-refillable cylinders detected at border. Importer was found to be unlicensed. Cylinders seized and the importer issued a seizure notice. Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 7 June, 2021 R-404A and HFC-134a 29.35kg of R-404A and 0.15kg of HFC-134a from China to Australia The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment received an allegation that a Chinese supplier is providing fraudulent declarations that the SGG equipment they supply does not contain refrigerant. Import monitoring detected a company importing SGG equipment from the Chinese supplier without a license. Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (SGG) equipment valued at AUD$218,613 seized at border following confirmation equipment contained HFC-404a and HFC-134a and the importer was unlicensed. Importer issued formal warning.
Australia 05 Jul, 2022 HFC-134a 4.1 kg from United States to Australia Bulk HFC-134a in non-refillable cylinders detected at border. Importer was found to be unlicensed. Cylinders seized and the importer issued a seizure notice. Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 05 Apr, 2022 HFC-134a 0.34 kg from United States to Australia Bulk HFC-134a in non-refillable cylinders detected at border. Importer was found to be unlicensed. Cylinders seized and the importer issued a seizure notice. Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 18 Dec, 2018 and 21 Feb, 2019 HFC-227ea 4,000 kg and 1,000 kg from China to Australia Allegation received about company importing HFC-227ea without a licence or quota. Investigation identified company importing HFC-227ea without a licence. 5 Cylinders of HFC-227ea seized. Civil court proceedings taken against importer. Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 2019 HCFC-22 571.2 kg from Thailand to Australia Import data monitoring detected a company importing bulk HCFC-22 without a licence. Importer issued Infringement Notices Refrigerant destroyed
Australia 01 Oct, 2016 HCFC-141b based polyol 80 drums China In June 2016, the Department of the Environment and Energy received information that a company was intending to import an HCFC-141b based polyol system without an import licence or import quota. The company was aware both were required to import polyol systems containing HCFC-141b.  The Director of the company confirmed during a compliance site visit in August 2016 to the company’s premises that the company was in the process of importing HCFC-141b polyol based systems. The company was informed again, that an import licence and import quota for HCFC was required, and that all import quota for HCFC had been allocated. In October 2016, the Australian Border Force intercepted a consignment of 80 drums of HCFC-141b based polyol imported by that company that had landed in Sydney, and held those drums in a bonded warehouse while the Department of the Environment and Energy took compliance action. The action taken was for the importer to be required to return the polyol to the place of import. The importer agreed and was granted an export licence for a single export to enable it to re-export the polyol to its source country. This occurred in December 2016. The company was not prosecuted for the illegal import however compliance costs to the company were significant including the export licence application fee, the costs of storage in a bonded warehouse for two months and business disruption. These are unrecoverable costs to the to the company, in addition to the lost costs of purchasing the polyol system. Following the export of the polyol the company maintained contact with the Department of the Environment and Energy regarding obtaining an import licence for a HFC replacement or importing a non-scheduled alternative. They have been informed of the licensing program and quota requirements for the import of HFCs. HFC imports and phase down are monitored by the Department and the Department of Home Affairs.
Click here for reports submitted to date by all parties.
The Vienna Convention provides for that parties shall co-operate in conducting research and systematic observations and in formulating recommendations for future research and observation in areas related to the ozone layer. To this end the Ozone Research Managers meet every three years to review national and international research and monitoring activities to ensure coordination and identify gaps.
Reports submitted by Australia to the Ozone Research Managers meetings to date are available below:
To view reports submitted by all Parties to the Ozone Research Managers meetings to date, click here