Mildura electorate
Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (14:52): (722) My question today is for the Minister for Agriculture, and my question is: what measures and protocols are in place for a varroa mite outbreak in Victoria? Australia’s largest livestock migration has commenced, with approximately 360,000 beehives on their way to almond orchards around the north-west of the state. They come from New South Wales and Queensland. It is a large-scale pollination, and being right on the border of New South Wales obviously, where varroa mite was detected last year, growers, brokers and apiarists are asking what the protocols are and how long strip deployment will take when varroa mite is eventually detected on our side of the river, because bees can fly across water. I am aware that the department has been working very, very closely with bee brokers and growers through the migration permit process between states, but for clarity I ask the minister to clarify what exactly the protocol is this season.