A virtual AEPMA NSW ACT Branch meeting was held on Microsoft Teams on Monday 24 August 2020.

Like everyone else in Australia, we have had to adapt to the Pandemic time we are living with. Virtual meetings will probably be the norm for the foreseeable future. While it is not perfect, we hope as we progress, to get better at it. One great thing is that we don’t have to drive to the meeting, which for some delegates was hours on the road. 

We had a turnout of 8 delegates out of 13 which is not a bad number. Some of the contents are now old news as we have informed members immediately through the National Office. 

It is good for members to know what their State Council delegates are doing.

We were also pleased to have Life Member Greg Moon in attendance at the meeting.

As usual a lot was discussed such as:

Considerable work has been done on the review of the Code of Practice for Prior to Purchase Timber Pest Inspections and the Code of Practice for Pest Management in the Food Industry.

We also talked about Training to the Codes, Field Biologist course, the Field Biologist Institute, the Pest management Trainee Logbook (available on the AEPMA website). 

If you have not used it yet, it is free and is a good tool for trainees and employers.

It can also be improved, if you see something that need to be adjusted just let us or the National office know.

I strongly recommend to AEPMA members to use it. The more we all use it the more chance the regulators will accept it.

NSW Pest Manager Licencing

Information received from NSW EPA advising us they had issued a temporary exemption for trainee pest management technicians and fumigators who now have until 21 October 2020 to enrol in an approved course. 

The National office informed all members at the time on this matter. I suggest for members concerned to get in touch with NSW EPA to clarify whether the approaching 21 October is the final date or extended further.

All the other regulation requirements remain. 

NSW EPA also informed us recently of having removed unit 6 as a requirement for Fumigation.
The reason for the removal was due to the increase of contents in unit 11 in the last review of the Urban Pest Management Training Package. 

All members were notified by the National office. Some fumigators have lobbied the Government Department for years to have unit 6 removed and for NSW to be in line with other States.
As Mr Peter Meadows (Life Member) said, it was 20 years in the making. 

It also means to never give up, if we want something hard enough, just keep fighting for it!

What we hope is next?

• Make Units 8 and 10, compulsory for Pest Managers doing Timber Pest Control!
• Make a minimum practical experience a requirement for licencing! 
• Make logbook a requirement for trainees.

NSW EPA

Patrick Legey and Gary Stephenson were invited to attend a meeting in June with several NSW EPA representatives to discuss their draft NSW Roadmap in managing pesticides for the next six years.
 
While this document is strictly confidential and we can’t say much, we noted that NSW EPA looks serious about ensuring that users are trained to use pesticides safely and correctly, and we (at NSW AEPMA) agree with this comment. 

We made it very clear to these representatives that while unit 5, 6 & 18 were a basic requirement for a NSW EPA Licence, they were inadequate for termite management, sensitive and complex sites and many other situations faced by Pest Managers today. 

Gaining competencies in a very short time, with no or almost no field experience or training with a Pest Management company is not a good look in ensuring that PMTs (Pest Management Technicians) are properly trained to use pesticides safely and correctly.

No doubt there will be plenty to do or talk about for your NSW ACT State Delegates.

AEPMA will keep you posted when more information is available.

If you are experiencing operational or licencing issues with NSW EPA which are affecting your businesses, please let us know in writing or talk to one of your State Council members or the AEPMA National Office. 

Don’t be afraid, if we don’t tell them they will never know! 

AEPMA NSW ACT has a good working relationship with NSW EPA and most simple things can be worked out positively.

Pest Manager of the Year – 

This State Council would like to congratulate all category winners and nominees for the 2020 Awards.

Congratulations 2020 Pest Manager Award winner Rentokil Australia.
Congratulations also go to Micro Business of the Year with fewer than three employees, NSW winner Termitrust Pest Control, Dubbo 

Well done and make the most of your awards.

The AEPMA NSW ACT State Council would like to welcome new members 

Mr Oliver Robbins – Competitive Pest Services (Frenchs Forest) and 
Mr Daniel Danil – Safe Spray Pest Control (Penrith).

Please feel free to get in touch with AEPMA NSW ACT Council delegates if needed 

Urban Pest Management Industry Training Advisory Group (PMITAG NSW)

Due to Covid-19 No meeting held since 11 March 2020

Dr Chris Orton, Secretary, PMITAG NSW

PMITAG NSW maintains a Circulation List for its emailed documents and welcomes additions
to the list.

If you wish to be added to the list, please email Chris Orton, PMITAG NSW Secretary at c.orton@unsw.edu.au.

The next meeting will be held on 16 November 2020 at 3.30pm 

If anyone would like to attend the meeting, just send me or the National office an email 

Patrick Legey for the AEPMA NSW ACT State Council
Patrick@austrapest.com.au Phone: 0438 022984 or 
National office: 1 300 307114 or Email: info@aepma.com.au