29Appointment of environmental health officers

29 Appointment of environmental health officers (1) A Council must appoint one or more environmental health officers. (2) A Council may only appoint as an environmental health officer a person who has the qualifications, or qualifications and experience— (a) that are declared by the Secretary as necessary for appointment as an environmental health officer; or (b) that the Secretary or a person approved by the Secretary for the purposes of this section is satisfied are substantially equivalent to the qualifications or experience, or qualifications and experience, declared for the purpose of paragraph (a). (3) The Secretary may declare the qualifications, or qualifications and experience, which are necessary for appointment as an environmental health officer by a notice published in the Government Gazette. (4) Despite anything in this or any other Act, 2 or more Councils may appoint the same person to be their environmental health officer. (5) A person appointed as an environmental health officer is by virtue of that appointment an authorised officer for the purposes of this Act. (6) Sections 31(4) and 31(5) of this Act and sections 224(2) and 224(3) of the **Local Government Act 1989** apply in respect of a person appointed as an environmental health officer as if the person was an authorised officer.