Meeting Note - Heat Pump Suppliers Association of
New Zealand
Purpose
1. This meeting note includes information and talking points to support you at the meeting
with the Heat Pump Suppliers Association of New Zealand (HPSA) on 15 May 2025.
2. The HPSA wish to discuss the regulated product stewardship scheme (RPSS) for
synthetic refrigerants and other refrigerant policy matters.
3. Kara Lok, Manager, Waste Sectors Policy will also be in attendance.
4. Talking points are attached in Appendix 1.
Context
5. On 15 May at 10:15 am you are meeting with two representatives of the HPSA: Darryl
Rochester (Chair of the HPSA) and Dr. Greg Picker (Managing Director of the HPSA).
The HPSA is a representative body made up of heat pump manufactures supplying the
New Zealand market.
6. Darryl Rochester represents one of New Zealand's major importers of heating and
cooling equipment and Dr. Greg Picker has extensive experience with refrigerants policy
work in Australia (see Appendix 2).
7. s 9(2)(f)(iv), s 9(2)(ba)(i)
8. We have prepared the relevant context to these issues below.
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Summary of current RPSS design concerns
9. Cool-Safe will be responsible for delivering the RPSS. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
Cool-Safe competes for used gas, which they have been sending to
destruction facilities in Australia in exchange for units under the New Zealand Emissions
Trading Scheme (ETS).
10. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
s 9(2)(f)
(iv)
11. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
Cool-Safe will be given regulatory responsibility over the scheme while in
competition with parties that it will be responsible for regulating.
12. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
The board of Cool-Safe will oversee both its commercial activities and its
deliverance of the RPSS.
Industry representation
s 9(2)(ba)(i)
16. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
s 9(2)(g)(i)
17. s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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Recycling and reclamation 18. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
19. The recommendations agreed to by Cabinet on 14 November 2024 [CAB-472] do not
discuss gas recycling and reclamation.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
The HPSA advocates for more comprehensive training requirements
23. Due to the environmental focus of the RPSS, the scheme’s trailing requirements will be
limited in scope focus on the environmental considerations associated with synthetic
refrigerants.
24. Cool-Safe have established the Senior Leadership Forum (SLF) to make
recommendations to Hanga-Aro-Rau and the Tertiary Education Commission for a new
qualification that will serve as the ‘industry standard’ for the RPSS. The SLF are still
working through the details of this standard and have not yet made any concrete
recommendations.
25. s 9(2)(f)(iv), s 9(2)(ba)(i)
26. A comprehensive licensing regime with a health and safety focus was being progressed
by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. However, due to the
Government’s ongoing foundational review of health and safety legislation this work has
been paused.
The HPSA view on data collection
27. Under RPSS, sales data will be reported to the PSO. This is likely to include quantities of
gas, the species of gas, who gas is being sold to and what it will be used for.
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28. s 9(2)(f)(iv)
29. Officials are working with the HPSA, in particular Dr. Greg Picker, to gain an insight into
the nature of data collection in Australia and what New Zealand could replicate.
Concerns raised by other RPSS stakeholders
30.s 9(2)(ba)(i), s 9(2)(f)(iv)
31. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
32. s 9(2)(f)(iv), s 9(2)(ba)(i)
.
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Appendix 1: Talking points
Introductory remarks
1. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I appreciate the time and effort you
have given my officials over the past few months.
Existing scheme design
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
2. s 9(2)(ba)(i), s 9(2)(f)(iv)
3. s 9(2)(f)(iv)
4. s 9(2)(ba)(i), s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Recycling and reclamation
5. s 9(2)(ba)(i)
. I appreciate this is an
important part of the refrigerant market and ensures that businesses have the gas they
need to deliver to consumers.
6. Question:
Product stewardship is not intended to limit this activity. Do you have thoughts
about how the product stewardship scheme can support this activity?
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Training
9. Thank you for the points you have raised on training. s 9(2)(ba)(i), s 9(2)(f)(iv)
.
10. Question: With this in mind, how do you feel progress on training is tracking? Is there
more that could be done in relation to training?
Data collection
11. Thank you for raising those points on data collection. s 9(2)(f)(iv), s 9(2)(ba)(i)
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12. s 9(2)(f)(iv), s 9(2)(ba)(i)
13.
Concluding remarks
14. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I appreciate all the time you have
given so far. The experience the HPSA brings to this work is invaluable.
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Appendix 2: Attendee biographies
Photo
Name and details
Darryl Rochester
• Darryl Rochester is a Shareholder and the
Managing Director of Black Diamond
Technologies (BDT). He has been with the
company for over 20 years.
• He leads a team of over 100 employees with 60
staff based at the head office in Lower Hutt.
• BDT has been distributing Mitsubishi electric
products for over 40 years. Their present focus is
HVAC and hot water heat pump solutions for
both residential and commercial applications.
Dr. Greg Picker
• Dr. Greg Picker is Executive Director at
Refrigerants Australia (RA) and the Chair of the
Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) which
administers the Australian licensing scheme of
technicians
• Prior to joining RA, Greg held various positions
in government and the private sector in Australia
• He has worked for the Australian Federal
Government in numerous policy positions and
UN negotiations.
• Greg was an Associate Director for four years
with AECOM, a large engineering consultancy
firm. While with AECOM, Greg led projects with
national governments (including Australia, New
Zealand and Vanuatu) on adaptation policy and
approaches to reducing emissions cost-
effectively.
• He also worked with think tanks – including the
Climate Institute, the Lowy Institute and the
Garnaut Secretariat.
• Greg is also on the Strategic Leadership Forum
(SLF). This body was established by Cool-Safe
and is tasked with making the final training
recommendations that those working with
synthetic refrigerant gases and equipment will be
required to meet as part of the scheme.
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