The Australian pest control industry has relocated its national office to Brisbane in recognition of the potential growth offered in Queensland particularly in domestic, commercial and industrial property development.

In recognition of the important role played by the pest control industry in the property development process, the new national office of the Australian Environmental Pest Management Association (AEPMA) has been officially opened by Dr John McVeigh, the Queensland Minister for Agriculture.

Dr McVeigh congratulated the National Executive of AEPMA on its decision to move to Queensland, indicating that it was a major policy of the Queensland Government to encourage businesses and employers to consider Queensland as their base. 
“Apart from the fact that Queensland is one of the fastest growing economies and enjoys the best climate, I am also told that a large proportion of AEPMA’s membership is already based in Queensland.

“This is significant when you consider the Australian pest management industry is worth up to $2 billion a year and according to the ABS, Queensland pest management firms account for approximately 1/3rd of the Australian market.”

“AEPMA’s national office is close to Brisbane Airport which allows the pest industry body, as it does any national industry association, easy access to the rest of Australia,” Dr McVeigh said.

In his thank you remarks to Dr McVeigh, AEPMA President, David Gay, highlighted the benefits that AEPMA membership brought to not only the people of Queensland but also the people of Australia, including industry Codes of Practice for timber, pest and building timber pest inspections, food industry standards and the treatment of bed bugs.

All the Codes of Practice are on the AEPMA website and available for members of the public to research.

“The Code of Practice in relation to timber pest inspection is particularly relevant as the National Association has received a large number of complaints recently in relation to inspections that have gone awry. 

“If you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a property, then the use of the pre-purchase AEPMA Code of Practice, which has been endorsed by most Law Societies in Australia, is essential to ensure the investment is on a sound footing.

With that in mind Mr Gay also pointed to the fact that AEPMA members had to have appropriate insurances to safeguard the public and that a dispute resolution process was available for consumers and members of the association if the need arose. 

“The new AEPMA website provides pest managers and members of the public enormous amounts of information relating to common pests, their control and also an easy directory on where to find the right person to deal with a particular pest problem,” Mr Gay said.

Mr Gay thanked the Queensland government for its help and welcoming attitude to AEPMA in moving the national office from Sydney to Brisbane and indicated that the pest management industry looked forward to a productive working relationship with the Queensland government.