Environment Matters Autumn/Winter 2024

What’s in this issue 4 Big changes for large items Planting for resilience

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Conservation and industry coexisting

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Caring for our catchment

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A new plan for biosecurity

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Ready for action

10 Who’s been doing a whole lot of digging These are no ordinary rats!

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On the watch for platypus Spotlight on species

12 What’s On 14 Kids Corner

Students creating positive change

16 At your library

CREATURE FEATURE European honeybees were brought to Australia in 1822 for honey production. There are now hundreds of thousands of managed hives, and many wild swarms in bushland. European honeybees are commonly the bees that you notice in your garden – although there are also many species of native bee to look out for! Bees are essential pollinators of many plant species, including acting as critical pollination for Queensland’s agricultural sector from avocados to pumpkins. Native tree species also mean that Queensland honey has a unique flavour, with varieties such as yellow box, ironbark, blue gum and more. One of the greatest impacts to European honeybees has been the spread of invasive varroa mite in Australia. The parasite weakens bees and can carry bee viruses.

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