WAFarmers Beekeeper members are urged to vote on the proposal to reform and increase the honey producer and export levy.
The Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) is proposing to raise the honey levy from the current 2.3c/kg to 4.6c/kg on 1 July 2015. This will be a 2.3c/kg raise in biosecurity levies and will raise an additional $460,000 per annum for AHBIC to contribute to biosecurity activities across Australia. This will fund the development of the National Bee Biosecurity Program, as well as fund the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program.
AHBIC is also proposing to raise the threshold of honey produced from which the levy applies from 600 kg to 1,500 kg per annum in an effort to make the honey levy more efficient to collect.
Beekeepers who attend the WAFarmers Beekeepers Conference on June 6 will be able to vote on the day.
Beekeepers who are not able to attend the WAFarmers Beekeepers Conference and vote in person need to cast their vote by post. Postal voting closes on May 23, 2014 and must be lodged with the returning officer for the State: Mr Rob Manning, Plant Biosecurity, Western Australian Department of Agriculture, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151. Information and ballot papers are available here.
