To my fellow members,

 

In my almost 35 years in the Industry, the most discussed topic with my fellow “Pesties” has been the “shonkies” doing Pest Management work without holding appropriate qualifications, how detrimental and costly it has been to the by-the-book operators, and how to fix it. 

 

So I wanted to give you some insight into how much work we (AEPMA) has been doing behind the scenes, moving forward regarding Urban Pest Management Licencing in NSW and since Workcover handed the administration of our licences to the EPA. They did not intend to make any changes in the short term until they had re drafted their Pesticide Regulation and that could take some 12-18 months.

 

We also need to understand that the draft regulation did not apply just to the Urban Pest Management Industry, but to many other Pesticide users including fumigation, agricultural users and aerial sprayers.            

 

While it looked like a challenge to us at AEPMA NSW, it was also an opportunity not to be missed (probably one in a life time chance to have a change). 

 

The AEPMA NSW ACT State council and special guests (including small, medium and large Pest Management business delegates, insurance, training, manufacturers and suppliers’ representatives) met over several meetings to determine the essential elements of Urban Pest Management requiring serious reform. Recent EPA audits revealed that too many operators were not playing by the rules and had no respect for the inspector requests.

 

A meeting occurred in November 2016 between EPA NSW representatives and AEPMA NSW delegates to discuss some of the items below (note some of the items such as trainees, licencing businesses were already on the cards, with EPA wanting to be in harmony with other States and one day a possible National Licence…..).

 

It is essential for all Pest Management businesses, trainees and technicians to be licenced so we can work on an even field (not just AEPMA members). You should be licenced for what you are qualified to do… ie. If you want to carry out termite work, you should have units 8 & 10 of our Training Package (CPP30115- Certificate III in Urban Pest Management) and if you want to do treatments in hospitals, child care centres and other sensitive sites, you should have units 2 & 7 and possibly 43. 

 

Trainees should have a log book or records of what they have learnt on the job and they should not start their own businesses in Urban Pest Management unless they have achieved the correct competency units, have practical experience (a minimum period of 3-6 months on the job) or they should employ licenced operators.                                                                                                                             

The old 1 tech: 1 trainee rule and the licence number on the vehicle could soon be back.  There will be increases in cost of licencing but it will be recovered when the present rorting is more scrutinised. There will also be an increase in fines for people rorting the system. The EPA will do more policing.

 

Another very productive teleconference meeting was held between 4 EPA NSW representatives and 7 AEPMA delegates on 6 July 2017 and lasted over 2 hours where many of the Draft Pesticide Regulation issues were raised and discussed.

 

So where to from now?  We wait…we are still working on small issues with EPA which we hope will be resolved soon.  

 

The Draft Pesticide Regulation 2017 closed for Public comments on 7 July 2017. EPA takes on board or rejects public comments. The Regulation has to be accepted by EPA’s Minister and lodged by September 2017. So the best case scenario for an outcome could be a start on 1st July 2018.

 

By this point in time, my advice to AEPMA members is:                                                                                             

If you have recently applied for an EPA NSW licence renewal, the licence numbers have changed, but I have been assured by NSW EPA that you can still use your old numbers until you have finished your stationery supply. An unfortunate casualty of change from Workcover to EPA. 

 

Nationally, for these members who may not be aware of it, our old CPP30911 Pest Management training package was replaced by CPP30115 Urban Pest Management on 8 September 2015. Having been provided with a 2 year transitional period, it is now expected that all training in any of the units of Urban Pest Management are done under the new training package after 8 September 2017.  

 

As NSW AEPMA Chairman, I have to thank my colleagues Mal Trotter (Pink Pest Services and Life member), Kelvin Lawrie (Rentokil), Colin Urey (Drop-Dead Pest Control), Keith Farrow and Gary Byrne (Rapid Solutions), Eris Hess (Agserv), Andrew Knight (Ensystex), Peter Meadows  (on fumigation and Life member) and my own State Council members such as Gary Stephenson (AEPMA NSW ACT National Board Director), Richard Doyle (Rentokil), Dr Chris Orton (PIMACS), Kevin Parsons (Globe),  Geoff Bryce (Bryce Pest Control),  Shayne Reynolds (Pelican Pest Control), Greg Moon (All Termite and Pest Solutions & Life member),  and Ed Covey (Termitus Pest Management and now retired) for their contributions to this work. Many thanks also to our National Office and National Board for their great support.

 

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the National Office.

 

Patrick Legey AEPMA NSW ACT State Council Chairman