Pest and weed control operators
To operate a pest or weed control business in the ACT you may need an environmental authorisation under the Environment Protection Act 1997.
Class A activities include the commercial use of Agricultural and Veterinary (agvet) chemical products, such as those used in commercial pest and weed control. This class is highly regulated due to the potential environmental harm these activities may cause.
If you live in the ACT, you must hold an Environmental Authorisation for commercial pest and weed control operations.
Before completing an application for an Environmental Authorisation, it is recommended that you contact the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to discuss your application.
Read about Environmental Authorisations.
If you are a pest or weed control operator in another state or territory, you may be eligible to work in the ACT under the Automatic Mutual Recognition Scheme.
Read about automatic mutual recognition.
Agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemicals
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) regulates agvet chemical products up to the point of retail sale.
Visit the APVMA website.
After the point of sale, using agvet chemical products is regulated by states and territories under their respective legislation.
Agvet chemical use in the ACT is regulated under the Environment Protection Act 1997 and the Environment Protection Regulation 2005.
Agvet chemical law and regulation applies to everyone who uses agvet chemical products, including householders, farmers and pest and weed control operators. However, the commercial use of agvet chemical products in the ACT requires an Environmental authorisation issued by the EPA.
Agvet chemical products must be used in a way that is safe to human health and the environment. Registered agvet chemical products are considered to be reasonably safe when used in accordance with the instructions on an approved label.
Safe use of agvet chemicals
An agvet chemical product can cause environmental harm if it is not being used in accordance with the instructions on the approved label, or if required, an agvet permit has not been issued by the APVMA.
It is an offence to use, store or dispose of an agvet chemical product that is not registered by the APVMA, and to do so in a way that is not in accordance with the instructions on the approved label or the agvet permit.
Using a registered agvet chemical product in accordance with the instructions means :
- using the product at a concentration no more than is stated in the instructions
- using the product at a rate of application no more than the rate stated in the instructions
- using the product at a frequency no more than is stated in the instructions
- using the product to control a pest stated in the instructions
- not mixing the product with another substance
- not using the product in a way that is prohibited by the instructions.
It is not an offence for a veterinary practitioner to use, store or dispose of a veterinary chemical product while treating an animal in their care.
It is not an offence for a person to use, store or dispose of a veterinary chemical product if the person is doing so in accordance with instructions provided by a veterinary practitioner while treating an animal in their care.
Training for agvet chemical use
It is an offence to use certain agvet chemical products if you do not hold the appropriate training.
General training is required for the use of agvet chemical products containing schedule 7 poisons, including:
- insecticides
- rodenticides
- nematicides
- herbicides
- fungicides
- solid form fumigants.
The EPA requires specific training for the use of restricted agvet chemical products and agvet chemical products containing schedule 7 poisons, such as:
- liquid fumigants
- vertebrate poisons
- avicides
- industrial timber treatments
- termiticides.
The EPA approves specific Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) units of competencies and equivalent qualifications as the required training for the use of agvet chemical products. A list of declared agvet chemicals and the training for its use is in the Environment Protection (Declared Agvet Chemical Products and Approved Training) Declaration 2022 (No 1).
Record keeping
If you use an agricultural chemical product in the ACT, you must keep records, unless the product is used to sanitise pool or spa water or is ordinarily used for household and home gardening purposes.
To be exempt from these record-keeping requirements, the product you use must be available in a retail store and you must apply it by hand or by using a hand-held device.
The record of use of an agricultural chemical product will normally include the following information:
- name of the product
- date and time the product was used
- rate at which the product was applied
- the crop or commodity to which the product was applied
- the address and description of the location where the product was used
- the name and contact details of the person who used the product.
For additional information and detailed record-keeping requirements, view the Environment Protection Regulation 2005.
Banned or restricted chemicals in the ACT
Consistent with the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are banned.
The following chemicals are either banned or require a permit to use:
- 24 5-T
- Ethylene dibromide
- Arsenic compounds
- Cyhexatin
- Tributyltin
- Phenylmercuric acetate
- DDT
- Heptachlor
- Endrin
- Lindane
- Chlordane
- Aldrin
- Chlordimeform
- Sodium Fluoracetate 1080
If you think you have one of these, please email environment.protection@act.gov.au.
Register of pest and weed control operators
View the public register of ACT pest and weed control operators.
Disposal
Unwanted pesticides
If misused or accidentally spilled, some of these chemicals are potentially hazardous due to their corrosive, flammable or reactive properties. Do not:
- put chemicals out for routine garbage pick-up
- dispose of chemicals via the toilet or down the sink.
Contaminated commercial waste
Subject to strict guidelines, some types of contaminated commercial waste, such as empty agvet chemical containers, may disposed of at the 'select' area of West Belconnen landfill under supervision.
For enquiries and collection of household chemicals and garden pesticides, contact the EPA.
Apply for a contaminated land search