HVO COMMUNITY GRANT SETS UP HUNTER AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEE GROUP

A Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) community grant will help a newly formed community group to value and protect Australian native bees in the Hunter.

The Australian Native Bee Association (ANBA) Hunter branch will use the grant to establish itself and run a community workshop in Cessnock on Saturday November 25.

Chairperson, Ben Fitzpatrick, said the HVO funding will help local native beekeepers to connect and share information, to develop native bee products and services and continue local and national efforts to raise awareness of the significance, sustainable management, and conservation of Australian native bees.

“This HVO funding will help us with setting up and to hire premises for community events,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“We formed the group in July and already have around 45 members. We’re receiving new enquiries from new beekeepers all the time.”

He said the Varroa mite emergency response has sparked a growing interest in native bees and native bee products and services to benefit agriculture, the community and the environment in the Hunter.

“Varroa mites cannot attack Australian native bees directly, as native bees have a very different biology from European honeybees.”

“The honey from native bees has been used in Australia for thousands of years and we’re learning more about the role of native bees in pollination.”

The group’s upcoming workshop is on hive duplication of Australian social stingless native bees, with a presentation and demonstration by entomologist, ex-CSIRO research scientist, stingless beekeeper and promoter of native bees, Dr Tim Heard. Native beekeepers are welcome to bring their native bee hive to duplicate. The workshop is at 16 Kookaburra Close, Weston from 9am to 2pm. It is free for ANBA Hunter branch members with a small fee for non-members. Bookings are essential by calling 0418 118 758.

“We’re excited to have Dr Heard at our event because he wrote the multi-award winning and best-selling The Australian Native Bee Book, which is a complete guide to native stingless bees,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

The HVO grant is one of six announced this month to support Upper Hunter and Lower Hunter not for profit community group projects.

Round 2, 2023 HVO Community Grants recipients

• Carrie’s Place – Upgrade of household appliances
• Denman Public School – Colour Run fundraiser
• Whittingham Public Hall – Replace kitchen flooring
• Jerrys Plains School of Arts – Replace stage curtains
• Australian Native Bee Association, Hunter branch – Establishment equipment and event
• Muswellbrook South Public School – Colour Run fundraiser.

HVO environment and community officer Nic McLaughlin said a local ANBA branch will be an important and beneficial resource for local people and native bees.

“HVO’s grants are about helping to improve our community’s capacity building, skills, and environment.”

“This latest round of funding means HVO has provided more than $400,000 to more than 90 projects since 2018. This is in addition to its other partnerships, sponsorships and workplace giving programs.”

HVO community grants are awarded twice a year to support smaller scale projects of not for profit organisations working in the Muswellbrook, Singleton, Cessnock, Maitland or Upper Hunter local government areas. The next round will open in March 2024.

To find out more visit www.hvo.com.au/community or email EnvironmentandCommunity@hvo.com.au.

ANBA is a national member-based organisation that promotes the conservation, cultural significance and sustainable management of all Australian native bees, and the development of native bee products and services to benefit agriculture, the community and the environment. The new Hunter branch is ANBA’s tenth. For more information on ANBA and its Hunter branch visit www.anba.org.au, the Hunter ANBA Facebook page or email hunter@anba.org.au

Contact: Craig Eardley, HVO Media, on 0437 477 493. Ben Fitzpatrick, Hunter ANBA, on 0413 067 653.