New South Wales Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders is confident that authorities can eliminate the varroa mite from the state, despite relaxing a lockdown on the movement of beehives in low-risk areas.
Varroa destructor was first detected in surveillance hives in the port of Newcastle late last month and has now been found at 40 properties across New South Wales, including near Narrabri, 400 kilometres from the original site.
The mite weakens and kills European honey bee colonies, which are vital to the honey and farming industries.
Speaking to ABC's 7.30, Mr Saunders said the government was embarking on an elimination strategy.
"We believe we can eradicate the mite and, if we can do that then that's a big tick," he said.
"Ongoing, that's going to continue to be the plan, but you never say never."
Varroa destructor has never taken hold in Australia until now, but was intercepted at a Victorian port in 2018.
A different type of mite, Varroa jacobsoni, was found in Townsville three separate times previously but was eradicated each time.
The minister has rejected claims that the Department of Primary Industries did not check surveillance hives regularly enough to prevent the outbreak.
Mr Saunders told ABC's 7.30 the department had worked within the required time frame.
"You could always say there's more that could have been done," he said.
The department is carrying out DNA testing on the mite to determine where it came from and how it entered Australia.
"It's thought that it could have come on a ship," Mr Saunders said.
"But it could have come on a plane, it could have come from infected material that a beekeeper brought into the country."
So far, 1,800 hives have been destroyed across the state.
Multi-billion dollar crops at risk if pollination does not occur
Bees are vital to pollinating crops, and farmers around Australia are worried about a shortage of bees.
The New South Wales government is now allowing some beekeepers in low-risk areas to resume movement of their hives after a statewide lockdown.
"Any movements would have to be based on actually complying with a set of regulations, checking hives first, going through a set of protocols," Mr Saunders said.
"There's hundreds and hundreds of growers [who] rely on pollination services, so we're talking about probably billions of dollars of impact if we don't allow the pollination to occur."
Newcastle beekeeper Neil Livingstone has had 10 infected hives destroyed by authorities and is waiting for a decision on his remaining mite-free hives.
"The ultimate [goal] is to get rid of the flaming problem and stay as clean as we can for as long as we can," he said.
"I'm only hoping and praying that the horse hasn't bolted.
Another Newcastle beekeeper and educator in the eradication zone, Anna Scobie, said hive destruction was necessary to protect the wider Australian honey industry.
"If we don't eradicate it, we will all have to consider using chemicals in our hives, which are in high use overseas, and they leave residue in the honey," she said.
"Australia has the purest and healthiest honey on the world and, if we have the opportunity to keep it that way, we should embrace it."
Watch this story on 7.30 tonight on ABC TV and ABC iview.
