Bees
Residents of the Town of Walkerville are permitted to keep bees on their property as long as they do not become a nuisance or hazard to other persons. The council may order a person to remove bees kept on their property in order to abate a nuisance or a hazard to health or safety, under the Local Government Act 1999. It is important to consider neighbour’s within close proximity before keeping bee hives.
Managed bees are considered livestock and as such all persons keeping bees are by law required to register as a beekeeper and comply with the SA Apiary code of conduct – fines for non compliance apply
Registration as an Apiarist/Bee Keeper:
Person(s) keeping bee hives are requested to have a Certificate of Registration from the Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA) as a registered Apiarist. For more information on the keeping of bees contact the South Australian Biosecurity Apiary unit – 820777902 or 82077975 or visit:
http://pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/animal_health/bees
Unregistered persons keeping bees and unmanaged hives put our state at risk of bee diseases. Fines may apply for not registering your bees.
Bee removal - private property
Council does not provide a service to remove beehives from private property.
It is the resident's responsibility to arrange a pest controller to remove the beehive on their property, at the resident's cost.
Warning - do not disturb or attempt to remove a bee colony yourself. Bee stings may prove fatal to those with an allergy. An authorised contractor should be engaged for the removal/destruction of the bees.
Below is a link to the ‘Beekeepers Society of South Australia Inc’ which contains a list of people and contact phone numbers who can remove and relocate bees for a fee: http://www.bees.org.au/swarms.htm#swarmlist
Bee removal - council property
Council will remove bees from council land if it has been identified that the bees are causing a risk to public health and safety by the resident reporting the bees. Please call our Customer Experience Officers on 8342 7100 to report a bee hive that is causing a nuisance or is a public health and safety risk in your area and they will arrange for its removal as soon as possible using an Apiarist to relocate the bees.
Every attempt will be made to relocate the bees without destroying them. However at times, access may be difficult and destruction may be the only option.
Please note however, if the bees are swarming but have not settled into a hive (clump) for at least 48 hours, we cannot arrange for their removal. Often the queen bee settles for 24 -48 hours and a “temporary” hive is formed to protect her.
Bees that have formed a hive over 2 metres high in a tree/stobie pole etc, will not be removed as generally this does not pose a health/safety risk.
By-law No. 2 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAND BY-LAW 2015
Part 2 – Management of Local Government Land
4. Activities Requiring Permission A person must not on any local government land, without the permission of Council:
4.7 Bees
place, or allow to remain, any bee hive;
Removal of bees from council bins
Council will remove bees if they have formed in the bins that have been put out the front on council land for rubbish collection, please notify the Customer Experience Officers on 8342 7100 to notify them of the hive.
Removal from Telstra/SA Power Networks pit or similar
If the bees have nested in a Telstra/SA Power Networks pit or similar, Council will not remove them, please contact the responsible utility to arrange for removal.