Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak, also, on the Environment and Communications References Committee inquiry and report into the risks and opportunities associated with the use of Tasmanian bumblebee population for commercial pollination purposes. In particular, the inquiry sought to examine the economic benefits of using bumblebees for commercial pollination in Tasmania. Also, it sought to look at any environmental and biosecurity risk, and any legislative barriers—at least to trialling such an approach. Last year, I moved, as Senator Whish-Wilson has indicated, a reference to establish the inquiry. I thank the Senate for agreeing to re-adopt the reference at the commencement of this new parliament. I would like to also acknowledge those who made submissions to the inquiry, those who gave evidence at the hearings and the secretariat staff for their assistance throughout the hearings and in putting together this report.

The bumblebee is not native to Australia, as Senator Whish-Wilson indicated, and is only present in Tasmania and on neighbouring islands. The first bumblebee queen likely arrived from New Zealand and bumblebees were first sighted in Hobart around 1992. By 1993, it was accepted that bumblebees had become established in Tasmania. Over the next 14 years, bumblebees have spread across the state into all major vegetation habitats including urban and agricultural areas from sea level to altitudes of over one kilometre above sea level. There was no evidence to the inquiry that over the ensuing 25 years, bumblebees have damaged the Tasmanian environment.

Bumblebees are excellent pollinators, using a rapid vibrating motion to pollinate a flower in a single visit. They are also large enough in size and fast enough workers, visiting more flowers and carrying heavier loads than honey bees. As a result, there is potential to increase yield and fruit quality for our horticultural industry across a wide range of plants. At present, much of the horticultural industry uses wand pollination to mimic the bumblebee's buzz technique.

The commercial use of bumblebees presents an opportunity for decreased costs as well as increased yields in comparison to honey bees and wand pollination.

I must note that a number of submitters contributed evidence that the commercial use of bumblebees for pollination could present a risk to the Tasmanian environment and a biosecurity risk to mainland Australia. But possession of bumblebees is currently prohibited as the animal is not listed on the live import list established under the EPBC Act. The way that EPBC Act is written, it is even illegal to possess the established feral population in Tasmania. As the initial bees were not legally imported, they and their descendants cannot be possessed lawfully. In the last parliament, the coalition government, as Senator Whish-Wilson indicated, proposed amendments to the EPBC Act that could allow the possession of the existing Tasmanian bumblebee population within Tasmania. These amendments lapsed with the early election. The amendments would establish a new part 3 to the live import list to create an exception to the offence provisions so as to allow companies or individuals to possess live specimens that are part of an existing feral population in a state or territory. Specimens would be listed for specific states and could be listed with or without conditions for use. For a specimen to be added to part 3, it must be established through an environmental impact assessment that possession would not likely damage the environment. Amendments would be made by the minister and would be a disallowable instrument.

Finally, states and territories would then have the choice to opt in to the exemption with the offence to still apply in states that do not opt in. It is encouraging in this place when we can come together as the Senate environment committee actually did to find common ground across the parties and present recommendations that balance environmental concerns with the industrial opportunities.

The committee made three recommendations, and there was support from the Labor, the Liberal-Nationals and the Greens in those three recommendations. The committee recommended that the Commonwealth introduce the specific amendments to that EPBC Act that I have referred to regarding the live import list. It also recommended an initial sunset clause is included in the proposed amendments. The sunset clause would include a review mechanism after two years of operation to examine the worth of the new process and any unintended consequences. If any adverse environmental impacts are identified in the review, the parliament should amend the EPBC act to remove or remedy the new part 3.

Finally, there were a number of submissions that argued that there was insufficient evidence around the effectiveness of native bees for commercial pollination. As a result, the committee's third recommendation is that the Commonwealth government work with state governments to fund further research into the use of native bees as pollinators. I commend the report to the Senate and encourage the government to respond to this inquiry in a timely fashion.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted.