The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries says beekeepers can now apply for a permit to move European honey bees and other related materials into Queensland from the NSW General Emergency Zone (GEZ).
The GEZ has been declared free of the varroa mite pest.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said the States and Territories had reached unanimous agreement that the varroa mite was not present in the GEZ.
“We know how important bees are for our environment and economy, and this decision will allow our beekeepers to manage their operations safely,” Mr Furner said.
“In Queensland, there will be a staged approach with priority given to Queensland-registered beekeepers located in the NSW GEZ.”
He said a dedicated case manager would manage the process, and in coming weeks owners of non-Queensland registered hives would also be able to apply for a permit to enter the State.
“Movement of European honey bees into Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory remains prohibited due to pests other than varroa mite,” Mr Furner said.
“Processed honey or processed beeswax, new or unused apiary appliances, and quarantine-secured diagnostic honey samples for testing at a recognised diagnostic facility can continue to enter Queensland under the existing permit application process.”
He said beekeepers should continue to monitor their hives and report unexpected hive deaths, deformed bees, parasites, poor brood patterns and dead brood to Biosecurity Queensland.
Information on how to check hives and report results can be found at this PS News link for the varroa mite alert and for questions answered at this link.
