South Australia’s limited licence, Tasmania’s certificate
Some limited technicians, SA Health says, may be authorised to work without their supervisor physically present, provided they stay within sight or sound of a supervising full technician, telephone included.
Each state writes supervision in words, not in metres.
Source: Victorian Department of Health, operator guidelines; trainee licences; NSW EPA, training permits; SA Health, industry licensing; SA Health, engaging a licensed business; SA.GOV.AU, pest control licence; WA Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011; Queensland Health, sensitive places; NRE Tasmania, pest management licences; Victorian licence applications.
a licensed technician
BESIDE
WAin the presence of … close and continuous
VICwithin direct sight and hearing … at all times
VICat least four applications per pest, for example ants, before indirect supervision
WITHIN REACH
SAsome limited technicians: within sight and/or sound, telephone included
the full licence
trainee
fully qualified
Victorian Department of Health
Each state writes supervision in words, not in metres.
Source: Victorian Department of Health, operator guidelines; trainee licences; NSW EPA, training permits; SA Health, industry licensing; SA Health, engaging a licensed business; SA.GOV.AU, pest control licence; WA Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011; Queensland Health, sensitive places; NRE Tasmania, pest management licences; Victorian licence applications.
South Australia: limited and full
South Australia licenses two kinds of technician, and SA Health names the full pest management technician and the limited one as the most important licences for a household.
The person who physically does the work holds one of them, and SA Health’s advice is to ask to see it.
The licence is the business’s duty as well as the worker’s.
Anyone applying pesticides in South Australia for payment must hold the appropriate technician’s licence, and any business offering pest control for fee or reward must hold a Pest Controller’s licence.
Only one office issues them. A company must hold a Pest Controller licence issued by Controlled Substances Licensing, and no other entity in South Australia can issue these licences.
The limited licence carries the tie. Limited technicians hold no photo ID card at all, because they are only authorised to work under the supervision of a full technician.
The tie then loosens by training.
Some limited technicians, SA Health says, can undertake pest control work without their supervisor being physically present once they have completed the pesticide safety component of their studies and are authorised to work under indirect supervision.
Indirect supervision has a limit. The limited technician must stay within sight or sound of a supervising full technician, a telephone included, and the approval is issued in writing, so a customer can ask to see the letter of approval, or confirm it with Controlled Substances Licensing by emailing HealthControlledSubstances@sa.gov.au.
What a customer can hold in their hand is paper either way.
Both kinds of technician are issued a paper licence, which they may or may not carry, and it contains the same details as the photo ID card.
The endorsements are where the training shows. Licences carry endorsements recording that the operator has completed training to deal with particular pest problems, and SA Health’s checklist is to see the endorsements and the expiry date.
The limited licence carries a clock and a tie of its own.
It can only be held for a maximum period of two years.
The Government of South Australia’s licence page adds that the limited licence requires its holder to work only under the direct supervision (within sight and sound) of a fully licensed person.
Source: SA Health, engaging a licensed pest control business; SA Health, licensing for the pest control industry; SA.GOV.AU, pest control licence.
Tasmania: a certificate
In Tasmania, a pest management technician holds a Certificate of Competency.
Its Pest Management Technician Certificate of Competency needs an assessment of competence on three core units.
This training and assessment meets the competency standard that the national licensing standard for pest management technicians recommends.
Where the training happens is the state’s own peculiarity. There is no pest management technician training available in the state, and the training must be completed with a registered training organisation.
A certificate also has a term. Under the state’s Act, an authority continues in operation for the term specified in it, not exceeding 5 years, unless it is cancelled before then.
Source: NRE Tasmania, pest management licences; Tasmanian legislation, Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1995.
The two states, against each other
| Question | South Australia | Tasmania |
|---|---|---|
| The card | A paper licence with endorsements; limited technicians hold no photo ID card. | A Pest Management Technician Certificate of Competency, after assessment on three core units. |
| Training | Endorsements record the training completed for particular pest problems. | Not available in Tasmania; completed with a registered training organisation. |
Source: SA Health, engaging a licensed pest control business; NRE Tasmania, pest management licences; SA Health, licensing for the pest control industry.
What the difference means at the door
In South Australia the paper licence is the document to ask for, since limited technicians hold no photo ID card.
Source: SA Health, engaging a licensed pest control business.
Who may treat your home in South Australia is decided by SA Health, and in Tasmania by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania.