Perth Voice Interactive

THE WA Apiarists’ Society wants the City of Stirling to allow people to keep more beehives if they have bigger properties, and do away with a council permit.

Stirling is currently reviewing a bunch of local laws, including the one regulating beekeeping, which WAAS says should be updated so it is in line with modern practices. 

WAAS chair Jim McWhirter said the 1500-strong organisation had worked with the state primary industries department and WA Local Government Association to ensure rules for beekeepers aligned with the organisation’s best practise guidelines.

He says it will help reduce the regulatory burden on governments and beekeepers.

“There are nearly 5000 registered beekeepers in Western Australia, with the majority of them in urban areas,” Mr McWhirter said.

Under Stirling’s existing law people can keep just two beehives without a council permit, but WAAS would like to scrap the permit altogether, as long as people stick to its recommendations for property sizes and don’t allow the bees to become a nuisance.

They’d like to see properties up to 400sqm capped with two hives, rising to four hives for 1000sqm, eight for 2000sqm and up to 40 for 4000sqm properties if they’re zoned rural.

WAAS also wants the distance hives must be from a neighbouring property reduced from five metres to three.

It has also suggested the council seek advice from the primary industries department or the society itself if a complaint is lodged about a beekeeper, but retain the right to order the bees to be removed either temporarily or permanently.

Councillor Elizabeth Re says she would like to see some restrictions on where bees can be kept, as some residents had them in their front yard.

“So they had beehives in their front yard so that when people walked past, there was swarmings of bees,” Cr Re said.

“In one street in Woodlands we have four houses that have bees in their front yard.”

Council staff will now work on an updated local law for bees which will go back to council for approval before being advertised and then sent to a state government oversight committee for its seal of approval.

by STEVE GRANT