Under the Biosecurity Act 2019 (the Act), beekeeping is considered to be a ‘regulated dealing’ (Part 5, Division 3, Section 77). Under the Act, a person must not engage in a 'regulated dealing' unless they are registered. This means registration of beekeeping activities is compulsory for ALL Tasmanian beekeepers, both commercial and recreational. There is currently no cost to become registered and registration will remain free for at least two years (from 31 March 2023).
This requirement was formalised in the new Biosecurity Regulations 2022 which came into effect on 2 November 2022.
Conditions of registration
Registered beekeepers agree to adhere to the following conditions of registration:
re-register and update details every 24 months (if your situation changes significantly in terms of hive locations or hive numbers within the registration period, beekeepers are strongly encouraged to update their registration details using BeeTAS).
adhere to the Australian Honey Bee Industry Biosecurity Code of Practice.
comply with current import requirements for bees, apiary products and used apiary equipment including the General Biosecurity Direction (Emergency).
use best efforts to ensure that any apiary products fed to bees are free from pests, diseases, or chemical contaminants.
Tasmanian-specific requirements in relation to the Code (i.e. variations from the Code) that must also be noted and followed:
Code Requirement 2.0 (Reporting of Notifiable Disease)
- Prompt reporting on all suspect notifiable diseases however specific maximum reporting timeframes in Tasmania for American Foul Brood (AFB) and European Foul Brood (EFB) are 24 hours and 7 days, respectively.
Code Requirement 4.0 (Disease Management)
Code Requirement 6.4 (Labelling of all hives)
In applying Code requirement 6.4 , the following transition period applies:
Within 12 months from the commencement date of the compulsory registration - a requirement to have a minimum of 50% of hives clearly and legibly marked with at least the beekeeper’s allocated hive identification code (registration number). If a keeper owns just one hive, then that hive must be clearly and legibly marked with at least the hive identification code (registration number).
Within 24 months from the commencement date of the compulsory registration - a requirement to have 100% of hives clearly and legibly marked with at least the beekeeper’s allocated hive identification code (registration number).
All new hives (purchased or constructed – including second-hand hives purchased by a new owner), must be clearly and legibly marked with at least the beekeeper’s allocated hive identification code (registration number) as per Code Requirement 6.4.
Appropriate labelling means – at least the hive identification code displayed on an external vertical face of the hive in lettering that is:
- Indelible; and
- at least 25 mm high
Code Requirement 6.5 (Swarm catch boxes)
- Labelling with at least the allocated hive identification code (registration number) will also be required on catch boxes for all beekeepers. Labelling requirements for swarm catchboxes are the same as for hives (see above).
Code Requirement 9.2 (BOLT “Honey Bee Biosecurity” Training)
Code Requirement 10.2
- AFB testing in line with Code Requirement 10.2, however testing by all beekeepers is encouraged.
Code Requirement 12 (Apiary sites should be identified)
- Please note that Code Requirement 12 applies to all beekeepers and should be considered alongside current site signage requirements on land managed by Parks and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania and Hydro Tasmania.
Tasmanian Beekeeper Registration - Conditions of Registration (PDF 267Kb)
Need to register as a beekeeper?
If you have registered as a beekeeper in Tasmania since December 2022, your information has been automatically carried across to BeeTAS. You can login to BeeTAS using the email you provided when you first registered.
Instructional material on how to access and use BeeTAS is available in the following document:
BeeTAS User Guide (PDF 1Mb)
If you have limited online access, or have any other questions regarding BeeTAS, please contact Biosecurity Tasmania at honeybee.biosecurity@nre.tas.gov.au or call (03) 6165 3777.
BeeTAS
Biosecurity Tasmania has implemented an online registration system, designed to assist beekeepers with registration as well as manage their apiary sites. The online system allows beekeepers to:
register, or renew, their registration
view and maintain apiary site information
record biosecurity actions such as inspections and management activities
record hive purchases, disposals, and hive movements
upload training certification and laboratory results
BeeTAS will greatly increase Biosecurity Tasmania’s emergency preparedness and ability to respond to exotic honeybee pests and diseases. It will also enhance Biosecurity Tasmania’s ability to efficiently share information with registered Tasmanian beekeepers.
BeeTAS is a secure platform, hosted on data-protected servers in line with Tasmanian Government cyber-security policies.
Beekeepers can access BeeTAS via the Biosecurity Portal at biosecurityportal.tas.gov.au
More information on BeeTAS is available in our
Frequently Asked Questions document.
Watch this video to find out how to use BeeTAS