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Print Preliminary Pages (PDF 118KB) | < - Report Home : Chapter 1 - > |
May 2008
Canberra
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
ISBN 978-0-642-79057-6 (printed version)
ISBN 978-0-642-79058-3 (HTML version)
Foreword
Membership of the Committee
Terms of reference
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations
Chapter 1 Current and future prospects
Chapter 2 Bees in Agriculture
Chapter 3 Resource security
Chapter 4 Biosecurity
Chapter 5 Economic and trade issues
Chapter 6 Research, extension and training
Appendix A – Honeybee R&D Five Year Plan 2007-2012
Appendix B – The Inquiry
Appendix C – List of submissions
Appendix D – List of exhibits
Appendix E – List of public hearings and witnesses
The humble honey bee is one of the most important contributors to the success of Australian agriculture. Many crop and pasture species are heavily or totally reliant on bees for pollination. Commercial prosperity within the agricultural sector requires bees. So does the food security of Australian and the world.
Yet, the Australian honey bee industry faces a number of significant threats and challenges. A major challenge is resource security. The honey bee industry is dependent upon native forest for honey production and recovery from pollination operations. As native forests are locked away in National Parks, so the floral resources available to the industry have declined and will continue to decline. Bushfires and land clearing also have a significant impact on the availability of floral resources. Without access to floral resources, the potential of the honey bee industry to grow to meet the demands for crop pollination is compromised. The Committee has made a number of recommendations which, if implemented, will provide resource security for the honey bee industry and pollination dependent industries into the future.
This is especially important in the face of the biosecurity threats facing the industry, which have the potential to remove the pollination services provided by feral honey bees from the production cycle, making agricultural industries largely or wholly dependent upon managed bees. The potential for pests such as Varroa destructor to annihilate feral bee populations and decimate managed bees is real. Keeping such pests and diseases from Australian shores should be a priority for governments and industry. Investment in border security measures and research is vital. In this regard, Australia needs to lift its game. In particular, the Committee strongly recommends the creation of a new honey bee quarantine facility and increased funding for the National Sentinel Hive Program.
The industry is also being challenged by declining profitability in the honey production sector and the problems associated with modernising an industry based on honey production to provide paid pollination services. Yet, for paid pollination services to be viable the honey production sector must also be viable. Import competition is having a significant impact upon returns to Australian producers—but much of this competition derives from low cost countries with poor quality control regimes. Australian exporters on the other hand often face a range of tariff and non-tariff barriers in accessing overseas markets. Clearly, there is no level playing field. In addition, lax labelling laws have allowed foreign honey to be ‘re-badged’, with serious implications for the reputation of Australian honey. These are issues which must be addressed.
Protecting the industry from biosecurity threats and preparing it for the future is a significant undertaking. In this vein, the Committee acknowledges the work of government and industry in creating Pollination Australia, an organisation designed to provide funding and leadership for Australia’s pollination providers and pollination users into the future. Nonetheless, the Committee believes that there is greater scope still for the promotion of research extension and training for the Australian honey bee industry and related industries. With this in view, the Committee has recommended that the Australian Government commit $50 million per annum in pursuit of biosecurity measures and research in support of the Australian honey bee industry and pollination dependent industries; and that the Australian Government use this money to establish a national centre for honey bee and pollination industry research, training and extension.
My colleagues and I would like to thank all those who made contributions to the inquiry. The honey bee industry is made up of people with a real dedication to their craft, a genuine love for what they do, a fact reflected in the quantity and quality of evidence provided to the Committee. I would also like to thank the members of the former Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for their contribution to the inquiry and what has been obtained through that work.
The Hon Dick Adams MP
Chair
Chair |
The Hon Dick Adams MP |
|
Deputy Chair |
Mr Alby Schultz MP | |
Members |
Mr James Bidgood MP | Ms Kirsten Livermore MP |
|
Mr Nick Champion MP |
Mr Graham Perrett MP |
|
Mr John Forrest MP |
Mr Sid Sidebottom MP |
|
Mr Barry Haase MP | Mr Tony Windsor MP |
Chair |
Mr Alby Schultz MP |
|
Deputy Chair |
The Hon Dick Adams MP | |
Members |
Mr Martin Ferguson MP | Mr Gavan O’Connor MP |
|
Mr Michael Ferguson MP |
Mr Patrick Secker MP |
|
Mr John Forrest MP |
The Hon Wilson Tuckey MP |
|
Mrs Sophie Mirabella MP | Mr Tony Windsor MP |
Secretary |
Ms Janet Holmes |
Inquiry Secretary |
Dr Bill Pender |
Research Officer |
Ms Sam Mannette |
Office Manager |
Ms Jazmine De Roza |
This inquiry will examine the honey bee industry in terms of:
ACCC | Australian Competition and Consumer Commission |
AFB | American Foulbrood |
AHA | Animal Health Australia |
AHBIC | Australian Honey Bee Industry Council |
AHGA | Australian Hydroponic and Greenhouse Association |
APVMA | Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority |
AQBBA | Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association |
AQIS | Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service |
BMP | best management practices |
CALM | Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia |
CCD | Colony Collapse Disorder |
CIE | Centre for International Economics |
CMA | Catchment Management Authority |
CPI | Consumer Price Index |
CRC | Cooperative Research Centre |
CSIRO | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
CVAA | Central Victorian Apiarists Association |
CVO | Chief Veterinary Officer |
DAFF | Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry |
DAFWA | Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia |
DEC | Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia |
DPI | Department of Primary Industries, Victoria/NSW |
DPIW | Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania |
EADRA | Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement |
EFB | European Foulbrood |
EMAI | Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute |
EMS | Environmental Management System |
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland |
EPPRD | Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed |
EU | European Union |
FCAAA | Federal Council of Australian Apiarists’ Associations |
FFIC | Forests and Forest Industries Council of Tasmania |
GM | genetically modified |
GMO | genetically modified organism |
GVP | gross volume of production |
IPP | Industry Partnerships Program |
IRA | Import Risk Analysis |
MRL | Minimum Residue Level |
NAQS | Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy |
NCC | National Code of Conduct |
NEVAA | North East Victoria Apiarists Association |
NRS | National Residue Survey |
NSHP | National Sentinel Hive Program |
OTC | Oxytetracycline |
PA | Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane |
PCR | polymerase chain reaction |
PDB | paradichlorobenzene |
PHA | Plant Health Australia |
PIAPH | Product Integrity Animal and Plant Health Division, DAFF |
QA | quality assurance |
QBA | Queensland Beekeepers’ Association |
QPDI | Queensland Department of Primary Industries |
R&D | research and development |
RFA | Regional Forest Agreement |
RIRDC | Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation |
RTO | Registered Training Organisation |
SEQFA | South East Queensland Forests Agreement |
SHB | Small Hive Beetle |
TBA | Tasmanian Beekeepers’ Association |
TCPA | Tasmanian Crop Pollination Association |
UWS | University of Western Sydney |
VAA | Victorian Apiarists’ Association |
WABA | Western Australian Beekeeper’s Association |
Print Preliminary Pages (PDF 118KB) | < - Report Home : Chapter 1 - > |