THE beekeeping industry is “on the brink”, suffering increasing uncertainty and losing access to apiary sites on public lands across NSW, according to the NSW Apiarists Association.
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Beekeepers from all over the state converged in Sydney last week for the association’s annual conference.
High on the agenda were the increasing problems beekeepers faced in accessing vital floral resources on public lands.
Association president Casey Cooper said the industry was migratory, and to produce good honey and keep bees healthy, they needed to access a diversity of flower types, year round.
Mr Cooper said a lot of floral resources were on public land, which was controlled by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation, Local Land Services and Roads and Maritime Services – each with different fees, policies and procedures for obtaining access.
“It’s a dog’s breakfast,” Mr Cooper said.
“It’s a real strain on beekeepers trying to keep abreast of all the different requirements across these multiple authorities.”
Mr Cooper said throughout July and August, the almond industry would need three quarters of all hives in NSW for pollination.
“They are 100 per cent dependent on bee pollination to get any crop,” Mr Cooper said.
“But providing these intensive pollination services knocks the bees around, and they don’t make good honey while they’re pollinating almonds or most other commercial crops.
“That’s why beekeepers must have more reliable access to good native floral resources, like the ones managed by the Forestry Corporation of NSW, if we’re to continue to provide these essential pollination services to the agricultural sector.”
Bega MP and NSW Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance officially opened the conference last week.
He said the government recognised how important it was for the industry to access public lands.
“We also acknowledge concerns that current governance and administrative arrangements – which differ across a range of different land management agencies in NSW – are unfair and inequitable for beekeepers,” Mr Constance said.
“I am committed to working hard with my ministerial colleagues towards developing a whole-of-government, coordinated, consistent policy for public lands access for NSW’s beekeepers.”
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