There has been growing concern in Dubbo and western region towns that varroa mite-infected bees and hives will spread across the state.
Shooters Fishers and Farmers MLC Mark Banasiak is calling on the NSW government to compensate beekeepers who must destroy hives infected with varroa mite.
“There is growing concern within beekeeping communities that hives with varroa mites are not being destroyed due to the enormous financial impact it will have,” Mr Banasiak said.
“Compensation will incentivise those beekeepers to come forward and contact the DPI, who will then destroy the hive and contain the spread of the mite,” he said.
Emphasising the urgency of controlling the varroa mite, which is believed to have arrived into Australia for the first time via the Port of Newcastle in recent weeks, Mr Banasiak said: “Varroa mite is a considerable biosecur...
