If you use pesticides in your business or occupation, or on your produce or farm, you must make a record of their use. It must be made within 48 hours of using the pesticide, and kept for 3 years.
Pesticides include herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, fumigants, bactericides, rodenticides, baits, lures and repellents. The products used on animals to control external parasites are considered pesticides if they require dilution or mixing with water.
Another person can make the record for you, but it's your responsibility to ensure it's accurate.
You must record :
- who applied the pesticide
- what was applied
- how, when and where it was applied
- what it was applied to
- how much was applied
- an estimate of the wind speed and direction if the pesticide was applied outdoors using spray equipment – the Bureau of Meteorology website has a Beaufort Scale that can be used to assist in recording wind speed for pesticide record keeping purposes.
Authorised officers of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) may check your records at any time, and penalties can apply if they haven't been kept in accordance with the Pesticides Regulation 2009.
Visit the EPA website to learn more about keeping records of pesticide use.