Beekeeping Clubs Likely to Form National Group
Greater consideration of an incorporated national group of beekeeping clubs is to be taken following a November 2 online meeting, but a final decision on whether that level of formalisation will be practical is yet to be made.
Championed by Auckland Beekeepers Club president Ken Brown, the concept has been given the working title of ‘Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand’ (earlier detailed in Move to Unite ‘Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand’ Gains Momentum) with a steering group set to explore costings and the feasibility of incorporating the collaboration.
The idea of better organising clubs, most or all of which have predominantly hobbyist beekeepers as members, into a national collective came about after Apiculture New Zealand transitioned to Honey and Bees New Zealand (HBNZ), removing voting rights for non-commercial beekeepers. Brown says the formation of Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand would be as a means to collaborate with the new, more commercially-focused HBNZ.
The November 2 meeting saw 17 participants representing 12 beekeeping clubs attend – Auckland, Franklin, Waikato, Southland, Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Christchurch, Rotorua, Dunedin, Wellington, Waipu and Tararua. Following the meeting a steering group of Brown, Lee Carmichael of Christchurch, Scott Williamson in Nelson and Dara Dimitrov in Waikato, along with Jaime McRae of Tararua advising, has been tasked with further exploring formalisation of the group.
Brown floated a broad establishment cost of $10,000 - $15,000 to the meeting, covering professional advice and planning, digital infrastructure, banking, insurance, incorporation, administration, communications and outreach. Most clubs are supportive of the idea, but the cost of launching the group is the biggest factor being considered at present, Brown says.
That cost might be reduced by better teaming with HBNZ, but Brown says the fit is not perfect, and perhaps never was.
“If we were all together it would take away from what we were all trying to do,” Brown says.
“We have bees in common, but they have businesses, hobbyists don’t, and there would probably be resentment about resources and focus. I think we can work well together though.
“It’s like a relationship and the question of, should we have been together in the first place? We can be nice for the kids – the bees – and work together, but should we ever have been together? There are such different focuses and goals. They respect the work we would do with bee health and biosecurity and educating anyone with bees, and outside of that we can work in together where we can. And, who knows, potentially move back in together further down the road.”
There have been three key tenants of a potential Bee Clubs of New Zealand collaboration floated: ‘supporting beekeeping clubs; education and best practice; and representation and advocacy where appropriate’.
The steering group is set to meet in the second week of November and the full collective of beekeeping clubs on December 7.
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