Another threat to Urban Beekeeping in Auckland has been discovered, it will affect you!

Hi Everyone,

kiwimana got a call from an Auckland Beekeeper who found there was a submission to Auckland Council requesting Beekeeping/Apiaries/Bees be added as a “permitted activity” which would be added to the Unitary Plan (currently being consulted-on) in their Activity Table which appears to fall under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

WARNING!

This move would see the opening of restrictions, possibly with consent applications required, to have Beehives/Apiaries for Beekeepers in Urban areas! …it will even prevent some urban beekeepers from having hives altogether with a 200meter boundary restriction…and Outside urban limits? …permission required to keep any Bees which, in turn, may lead to the introduction of charges for consents and who knows whats next!

Currently the submission has been listed on a Summary Report with a decision to be made to add this change – We ask each of you to put in a “further” submission as we have to prevent this happening.

Act Now!

Please fellow Auckland Beekeepers, Gardeners and Orchardists please read and share the details of this submission as it will affect ALL in the Auckland Council area.

We believe we should be allowed to have Beehives anywhere in Auckland on our private land so as to continue to help Save the Bees!

DO NOTHING?! then…

Conclusion

If this submission is uncontested it will be approved, then it would effectively end urban Beekeeping in the Auckland region. So we urge you to read Mr. Sintons submission and submit a further submission. If you don’t agree with his intention.

Bee Heard!

Auckland Council need to know that you are OPPOSED to this proposed change and that you request that the original submission be DISALLOWED and removed completely. Choose to speak to your submission individually – hopefully with large numbers opposing they will choose, like in the last attempt in 2012,the council decided that there were too many people to listen to and so they passed the removal of consent fees for private land-owners…yay!

To make your submission now

Fill in the form on this page:-

Sorry Submissions Have closed now

Well Done, you can make a difference!

Below will provide you with access to the Submission # 6716 Points 1, 2, 3. PLUS All the information you’ll need to make a decision on making a “further” submission as an individual beekeeper.

Submission Details

Submission # 6716

Points: 1 and 2

Submitter Address: [email protected]

Copy of Submission 6716

Our views are that, ‘for the greater good’ that this submission should be disallowed due to the fact that Bees World-Wide, are under threat and to restrict any Beekeeping in any form will be detrimental to our efforts to the ‘help Save the Bees’ movement here in New Zealand.

After reading the submission we understand that the reasoning used by the submitter is to ‘restrict’ Bees in urban areas is due to, Bee Excrement.

We believe this reason does not justify such major change to the Activity Table and that local bylaws covers all ‘personal’ issues/ concerns regarded as a nuisance by any resident in Auckland City.

First Hurdle already passed

Point 1: New ‘General’ change in Activity Table which is listed in the AC “Summary Of Requested Decisions” Report.

Point 2: Proposed Permitted Use in Rural and Mixed Rural – adding to a NEW category – Activity Level 13.1 Bees and Apiaries.

This would mean all Beekeepers would need to apply for consent and with such an addition it may mean future cost beeing imposed on all Beekeepers in any area of Auckland.

*** This means hives will not be allowed within 200 meters or within a ‘Countryside Living’ and ‘Urban Zones’ in the new plan ***

kiwimana believe Beekeeping should be encouraged for any area or zoning, rural or urban, without restriction on private-land accepting that current bylaws already cover any concerns with the “nuisance” factor which is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Our research shows that it appears this may-well be a submission driven from a neighbor-dispute which is currently active in the public arena also mentioned in NZ Gardener.

if you need Further information…

The Links below give all links to the Submission information and info to make a further submission on AC’s SDR and The upcoming panel hearings.

Form – How-to Guide

The Auckland Council Unitary Plan web-page – about

Summary of Decision Requested Report

Information regarding ‘Further Submissions’ pamphlet

Activity Table 13.1

Further Research found in Public Arena

The Auckland Unitary Independent Hearings Panel – who will hear further submissions and review.

All ‘Further Submissions’ must be presented by 5.00pm on Tuesday 22 July 2014.

Sample Submission

See below:

Here is a copy of the “further submission” Margaret filled-out on the AC website using the on-line form.

Submitter details

Full name: Margaret Groot

Contact name if different from above: n/a

Organisation or company: n/a

Address for service of person making further submission:

Address: 165 Wairere Road

Suburb: Waitakere Township

Phone: (09) 8109965

Fax:

Email address:

Local board: none

Interest in the submission

I am(selected options)

A person representing a relevant aspect of the public interest; or

Grounds for saying that I come within the selected category are:

Honey Bees are under threat world-wide. Beekeepers already register apiaries through AsureQuality for MPI. The Original submission bases bee-excrement as justification for this change. Auckland Council in 2012 decided no fee nor consent required for private land. AC passed written consent required for beehives only on Public Land. At that time AC agreed that Bees were under threat, greater good encourages beekeeping. We ask, Can local government control bee excrement with this change?

Request to be heard in support of further submission:

I do wish to be heard in support of my further submission

If others make a similar submission, I will consider presenting a joint case with them at a hearing:

No

A) I support/oppose the original submission of:

OPPOSE

Original submitter name and address:

Name: Price Properties

Address: [email protected]

Suburb:

The particular parts of the original submission I support/oppose are:

OPPOSE

Submission number: 6716

Submission point: 1

Provision No. of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan:

Definitions

The reasons for my support/oppostion are:

I oppose any change to the Activity Level Table 13.1 – as local bylaws cover any beekeeping matters. Please refer “Point 2:Interest in the Submission” above for more reasons.

I seek that the whole/part of the original submission be allowed/disallowed:

Disallowed

Specify precise details:

The submitter states, “the reason for their views” include “…the excrement is a nuisance that is not acceptable in an urban area.” The whole of Submisson # 6716 should be rejected so as to continue encouraging beekeeping in any area/zone using bylaws to continue managing issues.

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