Vale Bob McDonald OAM and VAA Life Member

I regret to inform you that Bob McDonald OAM and Life member of the VAA passed away on Sunday 27th December 2020.

The following notice has been provided by the McDonald family.

“We would like to take the time to thank all of you personally as well as your organisations.

Bob was a member/associate/friend of all your groups and derived immense satisfaction throughout his life from being a part of each and every one.  Dad may not have said it personally and as straight forward as that, but you could definitely know this from his participation and enjoyment at all the events throughout the years.  He loved being part of the beekeeping family.

So, we would like to say it openly for him, thank you all very much."

Click here to view a Tribute to Bob from Peter McDonald

Service to celebrate Bob’s life:

Monday 4 January at 2pm at the Community Centre, 45 Elizabeth St, Campbells Creek. Followed by afternoon tea. All welcome.

Video recording of service: view online from noon Wednesday, 6 January: thompsonsfunerals.com.au/live-stream

Yours Sincerely, Phil McPherson, President VAA Inc

Click on VAA Shop for details

Changed deadline to submit articles for the Australian Bee Journal

• The Australian Bee Journal seeks to publish articles dealing with all aspects of beekeeping and encourages contributions from a wide variety of beekeepers.
• To enable it to be published well before the end of the month, the deadline for submission of articles has been changed to the 5^th of each month.
• Articles should be submitted to the editor of the journal via email at abjeditors@yahoo.com or via post to PO Box 42 Newstead, VIC 3462 

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and until further notice the Australian Bee Journal will not be posted in a printed format. Instead it will be delivered on-line via a link from an email sent to each member from the VAA Secretary. The email for the June 2020 journal was sent on 24th June.

• In order for this link to automatically display the journal on a device, you may have to have previously logged on to your VAA Wild Apricot account. To do this, click on the login button on the bottom of this page. If you have forgotten your password (or have never had one), click the “Forgot password” link and follow the instructions to set your password.  Your device will remember your password and there should be no need to repeat this process again.
• In order to receive the email you will also need to have "Mass emails from administrators, such as newsletters and other important notifications"  selected in the "Email subscriptions" section of your profile.
• Depending on the security settings of your device, the email may have been saved in your Junk email folder from where you can access it. Click here for instructions to prevent this from happening. Also, it has been reported by a number of members that, instead of the Journal being displayed in their browser, it was saved in their download folder.

If you are a VAA member, have checked the above three issues and are still not receiving the email with the journal attached, please notify the VAA Secretary (contact details shown below).

Along with many past editions, the latest journal can also be accessed from the Members menu tab. Here is the front cover of the January 2021 journal:

Beekeeping during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The VAA has been working with Governments during the current COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that our interests are considered as part of any movement restrictions and exemptions that apply to individuals and businesses.

I have been able to gain some clarity around beekeepers being able to attend their hives for husbandry purposes in areas subject to stage 3 and 4 movement restrictions. The link below takes you directly to the relevant web page which has a number of frequently asked questions (FAQ’s).

Where the FAQ indicates that you need to provide evidence about your animals/insects, I suggest that you carry a copy (both hard copy and electronic) of your beekeeper registration with you in the event of you being spot checked by authorities.

For current information please check the relevant Victorian and the AHBIC websites as they hold considerable amounts of relevant information for you and your business.

As the COVID-19 response continues, I will continue to represent the VAA  and our interests at the relevant industry forums being hosted by Agriculture Victoria.

Kind regards, Phil McPherson, President VAA Inc

 https://www.business.vic.gov.au/disputes-disasters-and-succession-planning/covid-safe-business/agriculture,-forestry-and-fishing-sector-guidance

Government COVID-19 Resources

The following government resources are being updated regularly and we recommend you check them for the latest public information. Thanks to the University of Melbourne for providing much of this list.

• Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Cleaning and disinfecting to reduce
  COVID-19 transmission (Download)
  
• DHHS COVID-19 self-assessment guidance
• Australian Government Department of Health
• Department of Home Affairs
• Smartraveller
• Social distancing information
• Self-isolation information

COVID-19 hotlines also offer 24/7 support:

• 1800 675 398 (Victoria Department of Health and Human Services)
• 1800 020 080 (Australian Department of Health)

Cancellation of Harcourt Field Day

The Bendigo Branch has decided with much regret, to cancel the 41st Annual Beekeeping Field Day that was scheduled for 11/10/20.

Further details here...

Cancellation of VAA Melbourne Section Face-to-face Monthly Meetings

To help prevent its spread and to protect the beekeeping community from the COVID -19 virus, the VAA Melbourne Section committee has decided to cancel the face-to-face VAA Melbourne Section monthly meetings until further notice. In their place ZOOM on-line meetings will be held. For details of pending meetings, go to the Events page in the Melbourne Section menu tab.