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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2471 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

Mr Speaker, as we indulged ourselves at breakfast this morning, perhaps some of us had honey with it. Perhaps it was on our toast or our muffins, or even drizzled generously over our muesli or porridge. In either case I am sure that many of us did not consider the ramifications that either an exotic or an endemic bee disease outbreak could cause to the availability of our honey.

Mr Wood: Yes, I did.

MR SMYTH: Mr Wood obviously is a very scrutable man who is out there considering his honey. It is pleasing. He is probably a Pooh Bear fan as well. Until 5 March 1997, Mr Speaker, when the Apiaries Act 1928 was repealed, all beekeepers in the ACT were required to comply with the provisions of that Act. On this date the Animal Diseases Act 1993 was amended to allow that Act to deal with bee diseases. These diseases used to be covered by the Apiaries Act.

As part of this consolidation, bees have been declared to be "stock" for the purposes of the Animal Diseases Act, and the diseases that can affect bees have been identified and declared as either exotic or endemic diseases. To complete the consolidation of bee disease provisions into the Animal Diseases Act, the Government commenced drafting regulations under that Act. However, Parliamentary Counsel has advised that several amendments must first be made to the Animal Diseases Act itself. Therefore, I now bring before the Assembly the Animal Diseases Amendment Bill 1999. Together with regulations that the Government intends making, this legislation will help to ensure that bee disease outbreaks are prevented and that they can be controlled should they occur. Similar legislation is currently enacted in all other jurisdictions within Australia.

Contained within the Bill, Mr Speaker, is a provision that will allow an inspector to enter premises, with either the consent of the occupier or by a warrant if necessary, if the inspector has reasonable grounds to believe that there are bees housed on the premises. This provision is vital for ensuring that beekeepers are not keeping beehives that are infected with either an endemic or exotic bee disease. Should a bee disease be identified following such a visit, the existing provisions from the Animal Diseases Act 1993 are available to be enacted to take immediate action to control the outbreak. Mr Speaker, I should also advise all members that the Beekeepers Association of the ACT is currently voluntarily complying with the proposed amendments to the legislation. This Bill will also amend the regulation-making power in the Animal Diseases Act to ensure that the necessary bee disease regulations will be within the scope of the Act.

Mr Speaker, without wishing to set the Assembly into a hive of activity over these amendments, the Animal Diseases Amendment Bill 1999 and the regulations, which I can foreshadow the Government intends to make after the passage of this Bill, will ensure that our local apiarists and the community at large will have appropriate legislative protection in respect of endemic and exotic bee diseases.

Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell ) adjourned.

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