Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I associate myself with the comments of the previous speaker, the member for Chifley. I think they were very well spoken words.

It is vital that I raise the issue of the possibility of Asian bees destroying the Australian honey industry and the effect that that would have on the whole of Australia's agricultural and horticultural industries. Presently, it is estimated that Europeans bees, which are the basis of the honey industry in Australia, value-add over $5 billion to our agricultural and horticultural industries. European bees have probably been the greatest import that we have made in the last 200-plus years. Conversely, Asian bees could be the worse import if they are allowed to take hold and destroy the European beehives that have given so much to Australia.

Asian bees first came into Australia in a relatively small area around Cairns. It is essential that action is taken quickly and strongly to eradicate Asian bees. For an industry that value adds more than $5 billion, it is a no-brainer to spend $5 million a year for two years to eradicate the threat.

There is a draft containment program ready to go. It has been designed scientifically and is supported, and has the imprimatur of the Queensland government. To give credit, the South Australian government has been supportive of action from the start and other state governments are slowly coming on board. But it needs the federal government to commit to at least a category 2 action, but preferably a category 1 commitment, where an Australian integrated management system is used to eradicate the Asian bee incursion. If allowed, the Asian bees will have a destructive effect on our European beehives and they will almost certainly transport two varroa mites into Australia. Australia would then become the only country in the world with all these bad insects and a poor pollination ability. I know how important bees are for pollination. Before I had the honour of becoming the member for Barker, as a farmer I paid for beehives to help pollinate lucerne for seed production. The lucerne seed industry is a very important industry and the yields are improved greatly by the use of European bees to help pollinate the lucerne flowers, and this makes the lucerne seed industry profitable. Unfortunately, other industries will suffer the same fate. Virtually every grain crop and horticultural crop will suffer the same fate and we risk the $5 billion value adding that European bees provide to our agricultural and horticultural industries in Australia.

I also refer to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources report of the inquiry into the future development of the Australian honeybee industry tabled in May 2008. This inquiry traversed over the 41st and 42nd parliaments and its report is well worth reading. In that report the committee, in its recommendations, said that the Australian government should commit $50 million annually in pursuit of biosecurity measures and research in support of the Australian bee industry—and nothing has been done. At least 10 per cent of that figure should be committed over the next two years to eradicate the Asian bee incursion around Cairns. It also recommended that the Australian government, in conjunction with state and territory governments, establish and fund a national endemic bee pest and disease control program. It has not happened. This report made many more recommendations concerning biosecurity that have not been acted upon and we have seen the result of the Asian bee incursion. I call on the federal government to act now before it is too late and we destroy our agricultural and horticultural industries in Australia, which we rely on so much in this country. We need to support the honeybee industry and make sure it is not ruined by inaction by this government.