A new Code of Practice has been launched designed to protect property buyers from being eaten out of house and home, by setting stringent standards for pre-purchase pest inspections.
The NSW Minister for Fair Trading, Anthony Roberts MLA officially launched the
industry-designed pest inspections code of practice.
The Code of Practice for Prior-to-Purchase Timber Pest Inspections has been developed over the past two years by a panel of experts appointed by the Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association (AEPMA), which is the national body for the pest management industry.
“The official Australian Standard (AS 4349.2010) for timber pest inspections does not go far enough in ensuring inspections are performed by qualified inspectors.
“The Australian Standard is only a minimum standard and qualified pest inspectors provide a service well above the minimum,” said David Gay, President AEPMA.
“The current Australian Standard only requires a visual inspection, whereas under AEPMA’s Code of Practice a standard timber pest inspection includes sounding, limited probing and possibly the use of a “splinter test” as well as the use of a moisture meter to look for possible pest activity.
The AEPMA code of practice details the intricate process of inspecting a property for the presence of pests. But importantly, the Code is measurable.
