ACAPMA committed to developing an Industry Code of Practice for fuel storage and dispensing systems (including UPSS) following discussions on UPSS liability at the 2024 Asia Pacific Fuel Industry Forum in September last year (see see Managing UPSS Liability –Developing a voluntary Industry Code – ACAPMAg).
“We are now at the point where I expect to publish a draft of the Code on the ACAPMA website on Thursday, 20 February 2025, ahead of the commencement of industry consultations over the next four weeks,” said ACAPMA CEO Mark McKenzie.
“The Code of Practice establishes mandatory compliance obligations for signatories regarding the design, management, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of fuel storage and dispensing assets within our industry,” he added.
Purpose of the New Code
The purpose of the Code is to bind signatories to all provisions to ensure that fuel storage and dispensing assets (including UPSS) are managed in a manner that:
a) Ensures environmental protection;
b) Provides a high level of safety for fuel industry workers and the general public; and
c) Ensures industry compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations.
All signatories will be required to adhere to the Code’s stipulated obligations and responsibilities as a minimum standard.
Scope of the New Code
The Code will establish standards for:
- Designing, installing, operating, maintaining, modifying, and decommissioning fuel storage and dispensing systems at fuel sites.
- Requirements for the purchase or sale of properties that include (or have previously included) fuel storage and dispensing facilities.
- Leak detection, inventory control, and compliance obligations.
Code Signatories
Signatories to the Code will include, but are not limited to:
- Fuel site owners
- Site operators
- Petroleum equipment providers
- Petroleum contractors involved in the design, installation, maintenance, and decommissioning of fuel storage and dispensing systems
- Businesses and legal professionals involved in the sale of fuel sites
Legislative Complementarity
The Code will incorporate a ‘dynamic’ listing of all relevant legislation and regulations pertaining to the installation, use, and decommissioning of fuel storage and dispensing systems. Signatories commit to full regulatory compliance as a minimum obligation.
Technical ‘Best Practice’ Appendices
While the Code serves as a high-level framework defining performance objectives, rather than a technical manual, it will include best practice technical appendices. These will provide guidance on contemporary industry processes that signatories may implement to achieve compliance.
Code Administration
ACAPMA will administer the Code on an ongoing basis, ensuring:
- The Code remains aligned with evolving legislation and regulations.
- A national register of qualified service providers and system certifiers is maintained.
Given the absence of a formal qualification for the professionals performing work on these systems, a key question to be posed during the first round of consultations will concern the credentialing of service providers for inclusion in the National Register of service providers.
How to get involved
A comprehensive initial draft of the Code will be published on the ACAPMA website by Friday, 21 February 2025. This will be followed by a series of in-person industry consultations in Sydney (25 February 2025), Melbourne (4 March 2025) and Brisbane (18 March 2025). The feedback from these sessions will be used to revise the initial draft before the conduct of a second round of industry consultation in mid-2025, with a view to publishing the first version of the Code in September 2025.
To register for updates on the Code development process throughout 2025, or to obtain further information about the upcoming consultations, visit the Code Consultation Page on the ACAPMA website (see UPSS Code Consultation – ACAPMA).
ACAPMA
