September 19, 2017
Member for Gympie Tony Perrett is calling for a “lock out” of beekeepers from National Parks to be scrapped before it destroys local horticulture.
“Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 beekeeping will be banned from 2025 so I have written to both the Minister for Agriculture, Bill Byrne, and Minister for National Parks, Steven Miles, seeking an extension to the deadline or abolishing the decision altogether,” Mr Perrett said.
“When it was enacted beekeepers were promised that the government would find alternative sources.
“Nothing has happened and the industry is now finding that funding is drying up, confidence is plummeting and participants are gradually leaving the industry.
“The horticulture and small crops industry will struggle to survive without the beekeepers who work side by side with them, ensuring that crops such as strawberries, avocados, watermelon and macadamias are pollinated.
“More than 65 per cent of all Australia’s food sources are reliant on bee pollination and the industry’s value to the broader Queensland economy is estimated to be worth $1 billion from pollination services and $35 million to the honey industry.
“In the macadamia industry alone between 20,000 and 30,000 beehives are needed for pollination and without these bees, crop yields are expected to be halved.”
Mr Perrett said the policy, which was introduced under a previous Labor government, was just “another example in the long list of reckless policies which are driven by green extremists who demonise productive industries in regional areas”.
“Labor’s track record is littered with insidious and deceptive policies which are designed to cripple forestry, grazing, agriculture and responsible vegetation management practices throughout the State,” Mr Perrett said.
“They are determined to lock out anyone and any activity from our National Parks.
“This policy is the same agenda which aims to lock out graziers from National Parks.
“The unproductive wealthy inner-city activists think that the industry is just about a jar of boutique honey.
“Bees are the only pollinators which can be managed on a sustainable level and it is critical that they have access to national parks which provide a food source which allows them to rebuild their hives and keep them healthy.
“The government needs to urgently review this policy which could devastate local beekeeping families and workers, our horticultural industries, and have a detrimental impact on the health of our local economy.”
