News — Australian Honey Bee Industry Council

Current COVID-19 information – 2021

Current details regarding entry conditions into different states can be found here:

VIC – DHHS website – https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-travel-permit-system#map-of-zones
NSW – https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/border-restrictions
QLD – https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/government-actions/border-closing
SA – https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/restrictions-and-responsibilities/travel-restrictions

Permit application weblinks:

Testing Locations weblinks:

Industry Testing Fact Sheet – Road Freight – Almond Industry (PDF)

Further detailed information on conveniently Located Testing Locations for the Almond Pollination 2021:

Swan Hill Respiratory Clinic

28 High Street, Swan Hill, Victoria, 3585
Open Monday 930am-530pm
Open Tuesday-Friday 9am-4pm

Robinvale District Health Service – Hospital Car Park – Drive Through

128-132 Latje Road, Robinvale, Victoria, 3549
Open 8am-430pm, 7 days per week
Drive Thru not freight friendly, parking options available near by
Please call 03 5051 8111 to confirm availability and wait times. Ring at least 30 minutes prior to your arrival

Barratt and Smith Pathology – Langtree Ave Mildura – Walk Through

127 Langtree Avenue, Mildura, Victoria, 3500
Open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm

ACL – Mildura

152 Lime Avenue, Mildura, Victoria, 3500
Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Open Saturday & Sunday 8am-12pm

Ouyen Health Services

28 Britt Street, Ouyen, Victoria, 3490 Australia
Open Monday-Friday 9am-11am
Please call (03) 5092 1168 to book an appointment prior to attending

State reference web links regarding agriculture:

Best Management Practice for the Transportation of Open Entrance Beehives:

Best Management Practice for the Transportation of Open Entrance Beehives

Please note: it is suggested that drivers carry a copy of the Best Management Practice document and work within the scope of the document.

For further updates please refer to your state apiarists associations:

NSW Apiarists’ Association – Secretary, Robyn Lewis,
info@nswaa.com.au or https://www.nswaa.com.au/contact-us
Victorian Apiarists’ Association – Secretary, Kerrin Williams,
vaa@vicbeekeepers.com.au or https://www.vicbeekeepers.com.au/Contact
South Australian Apiarists’ Association – Secretary, Jenny McCormick,
secretary@saaa.org.au or https://saaa.org.au/contact
Queensland Beekeepers’ Association – Secretary, Jo Martin,
qbainc@bigpond.com or https://staging.qbabees.org.au/contacts/

Previous COVID-19 information – 2020

(by Aust Honey Bee Industry Council and Australian Almonds)

Border closures and restrictions:

2020 Almond Pollination Exit Protocol provided by Queensland Beekeepers Association
Download PDF Here

Beekeepers are advised that if they are returning their bee hives to NSW that they can apply for a “Critical Services – movement of freight” to deliver the hives back to their usual NSW location or another place of storage. This permit is not to be used for hive maintenance or relocation of hives for ongoing pollination contracts.
Beekeepers that live within the border zone on either side of the NSW/Victorian border may apply for a border zone resident permit. This permit may allow for ongoing maintenance and movement of hives. Permit holders will need to carry evidence of residence and work location within that zone.
Beekeepers from outside the border zone, but within 100km of the Vic/NSW border, can apply for a critical services (agriculture) permit if they require to undertake critical maintenance that cannot be delayed. A critical service agriculture worker is a Victorian resident who is employed in an agricultural or primary production industry in New South Wales to provide a critical agriculture service.
The border region is an area defined by certain postcodes on either side of the NSW/Victorian border as per the Service NSW website. Victorian Residents that live in one of the listed Victorian postcodes may apply for a permit to conduct pollination services and the maintenance of hives that are located in any of the postcodes listed in NSW. You may not leave this region within 14 days of entering NSW.
The critical services (agriculture) permit may also allow for critical work within a 100km radius from the border in NSW, but those services cannot be available by another provider in NSW. It is critical for the applicant to obtain a valid registration code by having the head of their organisation, or if self-employed the person you are providing critical services to, to register as a critical services worker prior to applying for the COVID-19 NSW border entry permit from Service NSW. Critical workers can be registered at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/register-critical-services-worker-covid-19-nsw-border-entry-permit
For more information regarding eligibility and how to apply for a Critical Services (Agriculture) Permit, or to seek an exemption, contact Service NSW.

Status of entry points into Victoria: