The proposals to reduce the required qualifications from a full time three-year degree to a two-year vocational course have come in the midst of staff shortages that have left some councils unable to meet their legal requirements.
The Government's Department of Human Services (DHS) said it is aware of the staff shortage. The Auditor-General has highlighted the dangers associated with the risks and the Australian Institute of Environmental Health, which represents food safety and environmental inspectors, has convened a summit next month to address the problem, according to Australian newspaper, The Age.
However, despite the common interest of fixing the current problems the DHS and the institute are loggerheads because of government plans to remove the environmental aspect of inspector training, leaving the focus on food only.
The department is in the advanced stages of developing the two-year Technical and Further Education (TAFE) course, which should be completed this month. However, the institute last week rejected the course, refusing sign off on its contents or the principles behind it.
Current inspectors' responsibilities include not only food premises inspections, but administering immunisation programs and waste-water controls, following-up infectious diseases and looking after septic tanks.
Bram Alexander, Food Regulation Ministerial Council spokesman, said the new TAFE qualification would not lower the standards for food inspection, but removes the environmental requirements of the course.
Jim Smith, Institute president, expressed concern that councils would recruit para-professionals and offer lower wages for less-trained staff.
"I'm worried that councils will say, 'Great, I'll train up the local dog catcher, he can do a TAFE course', but who's the expert looking after the area," he said.
Meanwhile, some council's inspector shortages are so severe they have been forced to take their own action.
Two metropolitan councils, Brimbank and Casey, have outsourced their environmental health officers to private contractors.
The problems have not materialized overnight either as some councils have been reporting staff shortages of inspectors to the Auditor-General as far back as 2002.
