HUNDREDS of busy beekeepers buzz in to extract the liquid gold at Perth’s only semi-public apiary on a former dumpsite on the Kensington and East Victoria Park border.
Volunteer-run Western Australian Apiarists’ Society and Town of Victoria Park signed a memorandum of understanding for a training apiary in September 2017.
WAAS president John Chadwick said 250 – 300 beekeepers were trained at the public apiary on ‘The Sandpit’.
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READ NOW“There’s been an explosion of hobbyists on beekeeping with over 3000 registered beekeepers in WA,” he said.
“A bi-product of the training is we produce honey so half for charities like Manna Inc and The Haven, women’s refuges and the other half sold to our own members.”
‘The Sandpit’ on Kensington Bushland is an old toxic dumpsite which has been transformed back to a natural environment to set up the 10 flow hives.
Mr Chadwick said he was very open to organising tours and school visits to the apiary and have other councils set up their own.
“There is no other semi-public apiary in Perth,” he said.
“We’re hoping it’ll serve as a model for other councils to come and learn from us.”
Mayor Trevor Vaughan said he was pleased to have the public training apiary after environmental checks were done at Kensington Bushland.
“It used to be a dumping area for Perth,” he said.
“It’s something good for the town as we can accommodate the many interests of the many people in the Town of Victoria Park.”