Red Zone used to boost endangered bee population
Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods has announced that the Residential Red Zone will become the
new breeding ground for the embattled global bee population.
“May 20 has been declared World Bee Day by the United Nations, and I am pleased to announce today that we have been able
to use the red zone to protect and grow our native bee stocks,” says Minister Megan Woods.
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has created a trial in the Residential Red Zone after an extended search for
appropriate and safe areas to place and grow beehives.
The first trial involves 10 beehives with around 600,000 bees at a Dallington location, but that number of locations can
be increased in the future.
“This trial is another wonderful example of a transitional project to use the red zone effectively and created
eco-friendly activities in this area until the final regeneration plan has been formed. The Government recently extended
the amount of time red zone land can be used for community projects,” says Minister Woods.
Christchurch beekeeper Simon Phillips, who manages the hives on behalf of LINZ, says that declining bee numbers are a
worldwide problem. “It is a constant battle, with new diseases appearing every month, so we constantly have to develop
new treatments to deal with each new virus.”
“It is only a small first step, but with this trial LINZ wants to do its bit to protect and grow the local bee
population,” says Jeremy Barr, General Manager of the Canterbury Recovery Group of LINZ, responsible for managing the
red zone areas.
Mr Phillips has timed the introduction of bee hives with the end of the honey season, before splitting his strongest
hives in two new hives.
“We then introduce a new queen from our breeding programme and hope the new hive will grow to house around 60,000 bees
each by next year.”
Mr Phillips says that the red zone is the ideal area to grow bees.
“Normally we would have the hives on farms or in open fields where there is not always much for them to feed on, but the
red zone is full of fruit trees that will be able to sustain the bees.”
Despite the large open spaces in the red zone, Mr Barr says that the project team had to be careful in deciding on the
location for the hives.
“We are trying to keep them out of sight of the public and places with no traffic and little pedestrian traffic,” says
Mr Barr.
The hives will be well sign-posted and fenced off after LINZ conducted a robust health and safety assessment.
Mr Phillips says that the hives only need 10 to 20 square metres. “But we wanted to make sure there will be no safety
concerns, for the public, and the bees.”
Please find attached a small video interview with beekeeper Simon Phillips.