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As an apiary inspector that has many years experience dealing with nisance bee
complaints in urban areas I use to wonder whether our legislation was adequate.

In short our legislation is simple in that it provides the Director of the Dept of
Agriculture the power to restrict or prohibit beekeeping on certain land where it is
determined that the practice of beekeeping causes a public nuisance or threat to
public health or safety.

This clause is open to broad interpretation and application.

Having read through the Fort Collins ordinance I feel comfortable with the
legislation I am dealing with.

The reason I say this is that out of about three hundred nuisance bee complaints
in the last six years I would have recommended prohibition in about 25 cases.

I have always used prohibition as a last resort. In most cases of prohibition it is
due to a public health issue. In a couple of unfortunate cases I have actually had
beekeepers deliberatley use there bees as a tool in neighbourly feuds.

With open and flexible legislation to work with and an industry backed Code of
Practice I can educate both beekeeper and complainant, help amateur beekeepers
with management practices that will reduce the impact of beekeeping on their
neighbours and eventually resolve the issues of a complaint. I do this with the
support of the Amateur Beekeeper's Associations who regularly discuss the
issues of urban beekeeping.

I would be interested in hearing the impact and how effective the ordinance will be.
Will it be an imposition on urban beekeepers, most of whom do the right thing
anyway? Will it reduce the number of complaints? Will this eventually lead to the
demise of the urban beekeeper in Aurora, or will it make it a win-win situation for
both beekeeper and non-beekeeper in urban environments?

After reading the highly specific and strongly worded Fort Collins ordinance I think
our more simple and open legislation is the more workable option.

Rob Bowman
Senior Inspector
NSW Agriculture
Sydney
Australia

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