A meeting of the AEPMA NSW ACT State Council was held at the office of Agserv Pty Ltd at Silverwater, NSW on the 27 October 2015.

Many topics were discussed such as the review of Pest Management competencies, work on the new Code of Practice for Termite Management In and Around Existing Buildings, Code of Practice for Whole of Termite Management in new Buildings and the Code for Training the Pest Management Industry.

The AEPMA photographic competition is in full swing……with summer well under way now is the time to take pictures about cockroaches or termite problems.

Please help make this project a success!! 

Take the shot and send it to the National office.  For further information, please click here to view competition details.

Some discussion took place on the review of AS 3660.2. and the FAOPMA and National AEPMA conference to be held in September 2016 at Sea World.

An event not to be missed!!

I represented NSW/ ACT at National Board meetings on 27 August and 9 October, and Mr Greg Moon (alternate delegate) represented NSW on 26 November.

Congratulations again to Rowan and Pania Gregson (Pestec) for their Australian Pest Manager of the Year and NSW Award 2015.   As AEPMA NSW/ ACT Chairman, I represented the Association on the Sydney Harbour Cruise held on 20 October 2015 to celebrate their award.

A great thank you to Mr Gary Stephenson (Flick/ Anticimex) from NSW for representing AEPMA and the Australian Pest Management Industry at Juan Les Pins, France at the Global Summit of Pest Management Services for Public Health & Food Safety.    

The presentations, from the speakers, under the banner of “Challenges and Solutions for Pest Management in Food Production Facilities” added impetus and momentum to the global approach to pest management servicing of the food and public health sectors.   The Australian  presentation from Mr Stephenson highlighted two important challenges of this initiative:

“Be able to provide a pest free environment and comply with the various food safety standards while using safer but effective pest management methods with reduced reliance on pesticides”.   

Gary introduced examples of exciting, innovative technologies which are exclusive to Flick-Anticimex in Australia, New Zealand and their other European and Scandinavian country operations.  

“Align our two industries (food & pest control) through harmonisation, communication & knowledge sharing (practices, procedures, expectations & outcomes)”.   Gary proffered that the development of AEPMA codes of practice and standards are tangible examples of the Australian efforts to nurture and promote a unified approach to this objective.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Gary, you made us very proud!

By now you all should be well aware that Pest management licencing has been transferred from Workcover to EPA NSW.  On 24 November a meeting was held between EPA representatives and AEPMA (Patrick Legey and Stephen Ware) to discuss EPA objectives in taking over Pest Management licencing, ongoing processes and protocols.  

We made EPA aware of several complaints we have received from members concerning unlicensed people carrying Pest Management work or other people using member licence numbers.  Any such complaints or concerns should now be taken to the EPA Hotline (see below)

Environment Line 

TEL: 131 555 or (02) 9995 5555 ; email: info@environment.nsw.gov.au

Link to environment line http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/contact/EnvironmentLine.htm 

Reporting pesticide overspray, pesticide misuse, unlicensed operators  http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/askenvironmentlineapp/question.aspx?qaId=AEL-76&category=hazardous%20materials&subCategory=pesticides

We were also informed on an update on legislative matters.  We were made aware of the amendments to the NSW Pesticides Act which were passed by Parliament in May 2015.  On the 1st of December, the last phase of amendments brought in by the amending Bill will commence.  

Briefly, these amendments clarify the existing offence of causing damage to another person’s property in cases of pesticides misuse, clarify the existing exception to causing on-premises harm to companion animals from pesticides misuse, and allow for enforceable undertakings to be negotiated as an alternative to court action. Detailed information is available to interested persons on the NSW EPA website, including answers to frequently asked questions, or they can call Environment Line toll free on 131 555.

In other words be extremely careful when spraying eaves, double storey buildings for spiders and pesticide drifting on adjacent properties on pets or anything else.
As you know, the main amendments to the Act, which allowed transfer of licensing of urban pest controllers to the EPA, commenced on 1 September 2015.  The transfer has required a lot of new detailed provisions to be added to the NSW Pesticides Regulation.  The Regulation was due to expire on 1 September 2016 so the EPA has sought a postponement of its staged review and repeal to 1 September 2017 to allow time for the any necessary refinements to be identified.  Postponement will also allow for the outcomes of current national processes to better harmonise of record keeping, training and licensing to be clarified.  

I strongly recommend to all NSW members to ensure they are familiar and up to date with existing NSW EPA requirements such as Record Keeping and Mandatory Notification.  EPA representatives have indicated to us that auditing and spot checks could occur in the near future and members should ensure they comply with the existing laws. The possibility of additional unit requirements for licencing will depends mostly on National Reform whatever that may mean!  EPA will keep communicating with AEPMA.  

We hope to conduct some workshops in conjunction with EPA in Sydney and Newcastle in the New Year regarding Licencing and New Pest Management Competencies.

On 27 October, I stepped down as NSW ACT National Director for personal reasons and was replaced by Mr Greg Moon (Life Member).  Greg has a wealth of experience in this job and we should all be grateful that he has made himself available once again to represent our Industry.

I will remain as NSW / ACT Chairman and alternate delegate on the National Board until at least the next AGM.

Please, if you think you could help or wish to represent the Industry at any level, don’t hesitate to call myself, Greg or any of your AEPMA State Council members.

As NSW ACT National Board Director, It has been a real pleasure for me to work with our National Executive Director Stephen Ware, various people at the National Office and the existing AEPMA Board. I wish our National President Vasili and his team the best for the future and I hope, I can be of some use to you again in the future. What has been achieved at AEPMA in the last 4-5 years does not need preaching and should be obvious to all the members.

I wish you and your Family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2016

Kind Regards to you all,

Patrick Legey
AEPMA NSW /ACT State Councilor and Chairman

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