In order to assess the Upper North East apiary industry's sensitivity to change the following needs to be addressed:
- NPWS policy and its impact on apiarists;
- Summarise the pressures for structural adjustment (loss of resources outside national parks and wilderness, financial viability, etc.); and
- Conclude on financial viability with and without the Upper North East Region.
NPWS Policy and its Impact on Apiarists
Old Policy
Up until early 1999, the NPWS policy on beekeeping stated that:
- There would be no new sites in areas reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act;
- All sites current as of 31 December 1989 would be retained for the term of the life of the licensee, or until surrendered;
- Licensed sites could not be exchanged or traded; and
- Any existing sites which seriously compromise the environmental values of the area would be relocated.
(National Parks and Wildlife Service Manual, Section 2.4, as at July 1998).
Under that policy, the declaration of new parks and wilderness areas would, while recognising existing beekeeping interests and allowing existing sites to continue, have prevented the issue of any new or additional apiary site licences for those areas. To allow an existing site to continue, the site must have been permanently booked at the time of change of tenure. If sites were used periodically but not booked permanently, access to those sites would have been lost. In addition to reducing the number of sites available, this would have served to diminish the flexibility with which apiarists operated.
Under the old policy it was reasonable to expect a gradual reduction in the availability of bee sites in NSW as new lands were declared national parks or wilderness and apiarists retired from the industry without the option to exchange or trade sites. In addition to the loss of sites from which to generate production, the old policy made it difficult for apiarists to develop their business asset. Good will, which would normally be a major component of a business such as apiary, was forfeited when a lease was surrendered. The capacity of the apiarists business to generate revenue and the value of the business was therefore depleted.
Loss of sites and subsequent loss of business value would have had a significant impact on apiary in NSW. This was thought to be the case in the Upper North East Region area where almost 29% of the industry is reliant on State Forests which had the potential for inclusion in the reserve system with subsequent tenure change to national park or wilderness.
New Policy
In early 1999, the NPWS clarified its policy towards apiary activities in protected areas under its management. These policy changes were developed in consultation with the NSW Apiarists Association. The key points of this policy are:
- Apiarists will be allowed continued access to existing sites and sites may be transferred to family members, or when an apiary business is sold, to the person who has purchased the business. No new, additional apiary sites can be created in reserves managed by the NPWS, however beekeeping consents/permits current on all lands transferred to the NPWS will be recognised;
- The NPWS is developing a relocation protocol which will enable sites to be moved, following a process of consultation, where there are grounds that the activity is having a detrimental impact on the environment, or the NPWS has management imperatives such as conflicts with visitors, need to change access routes etc; and
- To protect wilderness values, sites within lands declared as wilderness will be relocated to alternative sites outside the declared wilderness. In such cases the NPWS will consult with apiarists to identify suitable alternative sites. Where suitable alternative sites are not available, sites situated in the core of a declared wilderness will be relocated to the edge of such areas.
(Extract from address at the Annual Apiarists' Conference, May 1999 by Director General, NPWS).
Under the new policy there will be no reduction in the availability of bee sites in NSW as new lands were declared national parks or wilderness. The capacity of the apiarists business to generate revenue and the value of the business is not impacted by the policy.
The NPWS policy will not result in loss of sites and therefore any subsequent loss of apiary business value in NSW. This finding has been confirmed with Greg Roberts, President of the NSW Apiarists Association.
Pressures for Structural Adjustment
There is a strong feeling in the industry that the viability of beekeepers will come under increasing pressure as the impact of the following effects becomes more intense:
- Timber production involving the clearing of viable apiculture resources, replanting and harvesting prior to maturity of the floral resource and replacement with species of no or limited value to apiarists;
- Salinity and die back affecting tablelands and western eucalypts;
- Loss of floral resources due to urban encroachment and land clearing;
- Biological control of Patterson's Curse (Salvation Jane); and
- Economic pressures including increasing costs incurred in order to obtain useful floral resources.
The diversity of flora available, and the scope of resources they provide year round, is the basis of the apiculture industry in NSW. As the prospects of being able to utilise the range of resources diminishes, so to does the viability of the industry. The industry believes that these pressures may see a number of operators exit the industry within the next 10 to 15 years. Given that many operators are based in small regional areas there may be some impact on regions and communities.
Conclusions on Future Viability
The change in NPWS policy results in the removal of the threat of loss of access to significant apiary sites in the Upper North East Region that would have had an impact on the immediate viability of a significant number of apiarists. The Upper North East Region has importance as a honey production, overwintering, pollination and queen bee breeding area for the NSW apiary industry and will continue to be one of the major producers of honey and other apiary products in Australia.