The good news is NSW has not reported any more varroa mite detections beyond the 97 it already has under control – but surveillance is ongoing for the Grafton and Narrabri areas.
The bad news for Sunraysia is that apiarists on the front line say their industry is still in turmoil.
And the movement of hives, brood boxes, nucleus hives, packaged bees and queen bees are still not permitted anywhere in NSW – although a special group permit was issued by the Department of Primary Industries allowing beekeepers in flood warning areas to move their hives to higher ground.
To control the mite’s spread, and contain it to NSW, the Queensland and Victoria borders have been closed, but due to the thousands of hives needed for almond pollination, borders have been set up and strict biosecurity guidelines put in place to curb the usual flow of bees across state borders.
Principal bee broker for Victoria’s north-west almond growers, Trevor Monson, says non-movement regulations of bees are extremely serious – without them there are no almonds.
In fact, he says, it’s estimated the almond and beekeeping industries, together with their supply chain, stand to lose more than $1 billion because there’s a state border on their doorstep.
“To keep the borders open, strict guidelines are in place, which beekeepers are doing, even if it means many more hours of work and time to get them there.
“But, when cut-off times and rules are not possible, it is preventing supply,” Trevor says.
“It appears Victorian biosecurity assessment officers do not understand the border region around the Murray River operates as one entity, with a continual movement of bees crossing backwards and forwards, chasing honey and pollen as trees and vegetation flower,” he says.
“Bees fly, so keeping bees to one side of the river or the other is impossible. With a sensible risk assessment within the border bubble, thousands of hives could still be used for almond pollination.”
Trevor says the burning question now is: will Victorian beekeepers shut out of the border bubble because of varroa restrictions be compensated for the thousands of hives they have ready to go – and can’t go anywhere.
He says his own business, registered in both Victoria and NSW, has been denied a Victorian permit for 640 hives of bees situated on the NSW side of the border bubble, to come back and go to Victorian almond farms.
Hives that are within just 5km of the Murray – and 1100km from the nearest known infection of varroa.
“The reason given for this refusal was these hives had been in NSW since before March 1, and I would like to know does the risk assessment indicate why this is a risk?” Trevor says.
“Michael Leahy, trading as Riverina Honey, from Burrumbuttock is also registered as a beekeeper in both states and was given a permit to shift 3600 hives situated 7 to 9km north of the Murray River near Balranald, to an almond farm in Victoria,” he says.
“And then was only given four days in which to do it.
“Within that time he had shifted 3100 of his hives and still had another 500 to go. An extension of time to get the remainder across the border was not allowed due to the supposed increased risk involved.
“What risk? Hives are still there, despite almond trees desperately needing them just a few kilometres away.”
Trevor says beekeepers are willing to keep to the rules, “but when they are impossible, or make no sense, many beekeepers are losing hope of helping growers, or keeping sane”.
He says many beekeepers who expanded their operations to meet pollination demands are now facing bankruptcy and risk losing everything.
“This is just too much on top of severe fires, floods, and lack of access to bees.
“We need some common sense to prevail. We know the industry is working overtime to avoid varroa, but it all needs to be workable as so much else is at stake.”
