A short message from Prof Cameron Jack, keynote speaker at the annual conference.

Exciting news for Bendigo beekeeping enthusiasts: Melbourne Polytechnic is bringing its Certificate III in Beekeeping (AHC31818) to you!

Location: Peppergreen Farm at 40-44 Thunder Street, North Bendigo.

We're rolling in with our state-of-the-art beekeeping truck

Get ready to dive into the world of bees, learn essential techniques and discover the crucial role these pollinators play in our ecosystem. This is your chance to gain hands-on experience and be part of something truly remarkable!

For more information visit https://melbpo.ly/Beekeeping today

Recordings from the conference are now available for viewing.  There is a site page here with details or you can go straight to the VAA YouTube channel here.

Please note that recruitment is now underway for a number of Varroa Development Officers (VDO’s) to be employed in a casual capacity, and two Senior Varroa Development Officers (SVDO) to be employed in a full time fixed term capacity.

Advertisements for jobs are now live on both the Career@VicGov and SEEK websites, with a closing date for all applications of 31 March 2024.

https://www.seek.com.au/varroa-jobs

The VAA is offering the position of part-time Contract Administrative Officer owing to the retirement of our long term contractor.  Details here and closing date for applications 22nd March.

The Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) has recently launched the Australian Farm Crime Survey, the first of its kind in nearly twenty years. Please see a link to the survey here: https://bit.ly/farmcrimeune.

We need to hear from more farmers across Australia!

Please (re)circulate the information below within your networks. Our objective is to gather representative insights from each state, allowing us to better understand farm crime across the country and develop effective solutions.

We recognise that supporting this survey means giving up some of your valuable time. To streamline this process, we've developed guidelines for sharing the survey and a selection of media materials you can use (see below). You're also welcome to adapt these resources to fit your network's requirements best. These can be downloaded from the following link: click here

Thank you for your consideration and support. We would be more than happy to discuss this survey with you and, of course, share the survey results and official report upon completion. You can reach us via email at rucrim@une.edu.au or directly at +61 2 6773 1940

Together, let's shape a safer future for our rural communities.

Warm Regards, Dr. Kyle Mulrooney and Dr. Alistair Harkness

Link to survey: https://bit.ly/farmcrimeune

Details here

'It's basically dead': AI reveals the legacy of decades of logging

An AI-based analysis of 20 years of logging by VicForests, shared exclusively with the ABC, shows for the first time, the potential scale of failed regeneration in Victoria's state forests.Read the full story

Following the resignation of previous Bee Biosecurity Officer (BBO) Ally Driessen, I am pleased to announce the appointment of our new Victorian BBO Karyn Di Florio.

Karyn brings with her a wealth of departmental and general agricultural knowledge and experience, particularly from the plant biosecurity space. She has completed several secondments with the apiary team and deployments with the State Quarantine Response Team as a team leader. Most recently Karyn has filled the position of Permits Officer for the Varroa Project team for the last 12months. She lives in Melbourne where she keeps one hive.

The National Bee Biosecurity Program funds the appointment of a Bee Biosecurity Officer (BBO) in each of the state departments (QLD, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA, WA). Further information on the program can be found here National Bee Biosecurity Program – Plant Health Australia.

Nikki Jones, Biosecurity Manager Apiary

Course details are available here or under events.