Oceana/Antarctic

The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) aims to maximise the efficient use of industry resources and funds to ensure the long term economic viability, security and prosperity of the Australian Honey Bee industry in Australia. We foster, promote, enhance and protect the interests of the Australian Honey Bee Industry and the vitality of its members and represent industry policy at all levels of government, private enterprise and the public. The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council has established an independently developed and audited food safety program – B-Qual Australia Pty Limited. Detailed information about this quality assurance program is available via the link below. The Australian Queen Bee Breeding program (AQBBP) was established to help the beekeeping industry and having that pool of genetic material lends itself to having evaluations carried out in many areas. For the past 3 years, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) and Plant Health Australia (PHA) have been working to implement effective biosecurity arrangements for beekeepers around Australia. Ensuring the honey bee industry has the capacity to better manage established pests, and to have surveillance in place for early detection of exotic pests such as Varroa mite is critical to the future sustainability and viability of the Australian honey bee and pollination industry. Learn more about the Code of Practice and National Bee Biosecurity Program.

Since its foundation in 2009, the Wheen Bee Foundation has established itself as Australia’s premier, not-for-profit organisation supporting honey bee research and development. Its founder, Gretchen Wheen, was a well-known commercial beekeeper specializing in the supply of quality queen bees for local and overseas markets. Wheen recognised the fundamental link between honey bees and food security, and was concerned about the growing threats to the beekeeping industry. Before she died she donated her farm and other resources to establish the Wheen Bee Foundation, with the aim of supporting and developing research, innovation, training and communication to ensure a viable beekeeping industry and protect our food supply. The Foundation actively works to attract donations to enable further research and innovation projects to achieve its mission of food security through bee security. The Wheen Bee Foundation is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

The Purple Hive Project is an initiative by B honey and Bega Cheese Limited. B honey is committed to supporting the local honey industry by helping protect honey bees (Apis mellifera) from the significant threat of Varroa Destructor (Varroa mite) arriving in Australia. Varroa destructor is a tiny mite that is crippling honey bee colonies around the world, which could have a devastating effect on our honey industry and Australian agriculture more broadly. Australia is the only populated continent in the world that has not been impacted by Varroa destructor, but its potential arrival in Australia is a very real threat. If Varroa destructor were to establish itself here in Australia, it could have a devastating affect on our honey and pollination dependant industries. Honey bees play a significant role in the pollination of food crops in Australia – some crops are almost entirely reliant on honey bees for pollination. The Varroa mite, which has crippled bee colonies around the world, is threatening the viability of the Australian beekeeping industry. It is estimated that the healthy population of honey bees, and the pollination services they provide could be reduced by 90-100 per cent, with the potential to impact producers of crops such as almonds and apples who rely on the pollination services that bees provide. It is estimated that one in three mouthfuls of food that Australians consume relies on bee pollination. The Varroa mite is a tiny mite that attaches itself to honey bees and honey bee brood to the detriment of the honey bee and the honey bee colony. The Varroa mite is also known to transmit viruses amongst honey bees which can cause defects to the honey bee. The Purple Hive Project has been developed to monitor and send real time alerts to beekeepers and biosecurity if a Varroa mite is detected, allowing them to quarantine the hive and remove the Varroa mite in order to help protect Australia.

We started The Urban Beehive in 2010 with the aim of supporting the honeybees that do their critically important work in urban Sydney. We put beehives in city backyards, businesses, community gardens and on rooftops; from Bondi to Marrickville – even the Botanic Gardens. Across Sydney, the bees are enjoying some great views! And our hives are happy and healthy. But internationally, bees are in drastic decline, with whole populations being destroyed overnight as a result of introduced threats. We’re here to help protect local bee populations against these threats; and to raise awareness of the plight of all our beneficial insects. We do this partly through education with our popular beekeeping courses in The Centennial Parklands. We also do plenty of public speaking and now have a beekeeping shop in Matraville, Sydney where you can buy all your beekeeping needs in one place.

100% delicious, raw, urban honey and honeycomb from our hives in Rosebery, NSW. Happy bees. Support your local beekeeper. Eat local. Shop local. Rosebery Honey is cold extracted, small batch neighbourhood honey from hives in Rosebery, New South Wales, Australia.

Swan Valley Honey’s team of honey connoisseur’s venture to faraway places to collect the best golden honey created by our bees foraging amongst pristine bush land areas of Western Australia. Once the hives are filled, our team takes this precious crop and spins out the golden liquid honey and pack into jars for our other honey connoisseurs to enjoy- all natural-unprocessed-pure- Western Australian honey. Swan Valley Honey specialize in single origin honey. Favourite varieties Karri Honey, Jarrah Honey, Redgum Honey, Mallee Honey, Floral Honey, Wildflower Honey, Yate Honey all collected from Western Australia. Note the flavours of honey are determined by what flowers the bees have created honey from, so each batch will have its own unique flavour. Swan Valley Honey is not heat treated, so retains all the nutrients and flavours that nature intended.

Fewster’s Farm (FF) is owned and operated by Kim Fewster, a fourth generation beekeeper, who has proudly kept on the family tradition which began in 1898. Fewster’s Farm is one of the largest producers of honey in Western Australia. Fewster’s Farm honey is as pristine as the environment it comes from. The honey is never heat-treated, no chemicals or preservatives are added and the honey comes naturally from the hive to your home. Organic Food Chain has accredited Fewster’s Farm as organically certified, meaning the honey extraction and processing centre is inspected regularly by the Organic Food Board and the honey itself must come from environments in which there is no agricultural or industrial activity within a 5 km radius. The honey is tested for microbial content and must adhere to strict guidelines in order to remain organically certified. Fewster’s Farm is one of the biggest producers of Jarrah honey in the world. Jarrah honey is known for its high anti oxidants and healing properties.