Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Pest Management (Level 4) with strands in Pest Animal
and Pest Plant
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
105
NZSCED
059901
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies > Other
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies > Pest and
Weed Control
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
June 2018
Approval date
October 2014
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to recognise the skills and
knowledge required to plan and implement pest management
strategies and to supervise others to carry out pest control.
The qualification is stranded to recognise the different skills and
knowledge required to perform pest management tasks for pest
animal species and pest plant species.
This qualification is targeted at people who have some
experience as pest management operators and who wish to
develop their skills and knowledge in pest management.
Learners will benefit by having skills and knowledge which
improves their ability to plan and supervise effective pest
management.
The community will benefit from having individuals who have the
skills and knowledge to plan, implement and supervise effective
pest management.
Graduates of this qualification will be capable of working under
broad guidance.
Graduate profile
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:
Outcome Statement
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Communicate and negotiate in a range of situations to
achieve workplace outcomes.
Identify, plan and implement a mitigation strategy against
hazards to maintain personal and public health and safety.
Supervise others to carry out pest control and monitoring
operations.
Graduates of the Pest Animal strand will also be able to:
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Plan and perform control, inspection and monitoring of pest
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animals.
Graduates of the Pest Plant strand will also be able to:

Plan and perform control, inspection and monitoring of
terrestrial and aquatic pest plants.
Education pathway
This certificate may build on the New Zealand Certificate in Pest
Control (Level 3) with strands in Rural and Urban [Ref: 2443].
This qualification may lead on to the New Zealand Diploma in
Agribusiness Management (Level 5) [Ref: 2221], or a higher level
business diploma or certificate in regulatory compliance.
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and
knowledge to plan and supervise pest management and may
be employed in senior operator roles with regional councils, the
Department of Conservation, or with pest control contractors.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5
of the Industry Training and Apprenticeships Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation which has, under section 249 of the Education
Act 1989, a programme approved by the New Zealand
Qualifications Authority (NZQA) or which has been
accredited, under section 250, to provide an approved
programme.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification
will display the New Zealand Qualifications Framework logo
and may also include the name and/or logo of the awarding
education organisation.
Evidence requirements for managing
consistency
All TEOs either arranging training or delivering programmes
that lead to the award of the qualification are required to
participate in a consistency process scheduled by NZQA.
This will involve reviewing evidence associated with
graduate’s achievement of outcomes, and agreeing
acceptable thresholds for qualification outcome achievement
and areas for improvement.
To demonstrate how graduates are achieving the
qualification graduate profile outcomes, TEOs are required
to produce their own evidence in a high level report.
Evidence will include the following:
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
Employer surveys to determine if graduates of the
qualification meet the graduate profile outcomes.

Evidence of effective processes to ensure
programmes continue to meet current industry
needs.
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
A range of workplace evidence demonstrating that
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes.

Any other relevant evidence as appropriate.
Further information about the managing consistency process
can be found on the NZQA website.
Credit transfer and recognition of
prior learning arrangements
Education organisations must have policies and procedures
in place for managing credit transfer, and assessing
recognition of prior learning and recognition of current
competency. These policies and procedures, and
information about associated fees, must be available to the
candidate prior to enrolment.
To facilitate credit transfer, education organisations must
clearly demonstrate the equivalency or comparability
between each of the outcomes in the graduate profile, and
the assessment components of their programmes.
Minimum standard of achievement
and standards for grade
endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate
outcomes in the graduate profile through successful
completion of an NZQA approved programme.
Entry requirements (including
prerequisites to meet regulatory body
or legislative requirements)
It is strongly recommended that candidates have completed
the New Zeland Certificate in Pest Control (Level 3) with
strands in Rural and Urban [Ref: 2443] before enroling in
this qualification.
Qualification conditions
Overarching conditions relating to the qualification
Conditions for programme
structure
None.
Conditions for programme
context
For this qualification pest animal types may include but are not limited
to: possums, rabbits, predators (rodents/mustelids/cats), avian pests,
pest fish, feral livestock (pigs/goats/deer/cattle), wallabies, timber
pests, stored product and textile pests, ants, termites, and bedbugs.
For this qualification pest plant types may be found on the following
website, but are not limited to those listed on this website:
www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/surv-mgmt/mgmt/prog/nppa/list.
Other conditions
Recording and reporting information for workplace requirements
applies across all outcomes.
Compliance with relevant legislation, industry best practice and
workplace procedures applies across all outcomes.
Candidates may need to meet the requirements to hold a firearms
license and/or controlled substance license.
Candidates who are using toxic agents will need to hold an approved
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handler certificate and/or controlled substance licence.
Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
Mandatory
or Optional
1
Programmes may include the following:
Optional
Communicate and
negotiate in a range of
situations to achieve
workplace outcomes.
Credit 15
2
Identify, plan and
implement a mitigation
strategy against hazards
to maintain personal and
public health and safety.
Credit 20
3
Supervise others to
carry out pest control
and monitoring
operations.
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dealing with difficult people
negotiation and conflict resolution
preparing and presenting proposals
cultural awareness and sensitivity
reporting
enforcement procedures
authorised person training.
Programme may include the following :
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compliance requirements including the use of
hazardous/controlled substance
health and safety plans
risk and liability management
aircraft safety
boat safety.
Programmes may include the following:
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Optional
Optional
staff training and mentoring
performance monitoring.
Credit 10
Pest Animal strand
4
Plan and perform
control, inspection and
monitoring of pest
animals.
Credit 60
Programmes must include at least two specialisations
in either pest animal type or specialist control
methods.
Optional
Specialist control methods may include but are not
limited to:
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fumigation.
Shooting.
Programmes may include the following:
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working in confined spaces
confined spaces
animal physiology, anatomy and biology
pest biology, including life cycles, habits and
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harbourages
aerial surveillance
monitoring design
integrated pest management
animal welfare
spraying
operational planning and monitoring
budget management.
Pest Plant strand
5
Plan and perform
control, inspection and
monitoring of terrestrial
and aquatic pest plants.
Credit 60
Programmes may include the following topics:
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Optional
extended recognition of national and regional
pest plant species
breeding, harvesting and release of biological
control agents
ground and aerial chemical control
manual and mechanical control
aquatic control methods
use of chainsaws and scrub cutters
botanical knowledge
operational planning and monitoring
budget management.
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaces the National Certificate in Pest Monitoring
(Possum Monitoring - Designer) (Level 3) [Ref: 1225] and the National
Certificate in Urban Pest Management with optional strands in Fumigation,
Vertebrate Pests, Wood Borer, Shooting, Bird Control, Textile Pests,
Bedbug Control, and Ant Control [Ref: 0256].
Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualifications may either complete the
requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualifications is 31 December 2016. The
last date for award of the replaced qualifications is 31 December 2018 at which time they will be
designated as discontinued.
It is the intention of Primary ITO that no existing trainee should be disadvantaged by these transition
arrangements. Any person who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the Primary ITO,
PO Box 10383, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. Email standards@primaryito.ac.nz.
Republication information
Version 1 of this qualification was republished in April 2015 to update the Evidence requirements for
managing consistency
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Qualification Reference 2444
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