Beekeepers expand club base with new Council lease

The Townsville and District Beekeepers Association is set to expand its club base at Michael Hooper Park at Deeragun.

Townsville City Council has today voted to let the association take out a five-year lease on a second area of the park for educational purposes.

Townsville and District Beekeepers Association president Mick Olsen said locals, community groups and schools would benefit from the new educational area.

"We're going to have beehives out there to showcase the different kinds of beehives, showing how to manage both native and European beehives, how to keep the hives healthy, identify disease and problems with hives,” Mr Olsen said.

“There are five or six different varieties that we'll have there so people can compare them.

“The club assists new beekeepers with getting established and purchasing equipment suitable for their bees, providing raw honey for tasting sessions, promoting a better understanding of the connection between the state of health of our local environment and the bees and insects that depend on each other.

"We've already had interest from education groups to come out and see the native bees."

Mr Olsen said beekeeping was a growing interest across Townsville.

"Our club members range from seven or eight years old right through to the old and bold who have been around since the start of the club," he said.

"We have a lot of the younger generation, people in their 20s and 30s, a lot of married couples. All are welcome at our club and it is one of the friendliest clubs I have ever been involved with.”

Infrastructure Services Committee chairperson Kurt Rehbein said Council was proud to support community organisations across the city.

“The Townsville and District Beekeepers Association is one of our long-standing community groups based here in Townsville. Council is proud to be able to offer affordable leases to community groups to keep them up and running while they do important work in our city,” Cr Rehbein said.

“The Association will be taking out two lease spaces within Michael Hooper Park. One lease area will be over the existing clubhouse building, and the second lease area over green space will house beehives for community education purposes.

“This is a great use of available space Michael Hooper Park, and hopefully the Townsville community will be able to gain a bit more insight into the importance of bees in our natural habitat through this new educational area.”