National Beekeepers Association Executive Committee Meeting No 3,
2000/2001

Minutes of the NBA National Executive Committee meeting 3, held
Saturday November 25, 2000 at the Centra Auckland Airport
commencing at 8.40am.

Present: -      Richard Hatfield, President, Don Bell, Vice
President, Terry Gavin, Lin McKenzie, Jane Lorimer and Philip
Cropp, Executive members and Tim Leslie, Executive Secretary.

1.      The President called the meeting to order and established
that a quorum was present.

2.	No apologies.

3.      Minutes of Executive Meeting held 28 October 2000 were
accepted as an accurate record. D Bell/L McKenzie Carried

4.      No matters arising.

5.      Actions:-

2.7.1 "That the NBA makes a statement disassociating the
Association from Mr Law's position."

D Bell/P Cropp          Carried 

Reported that this issue had been dealt with.

2.7.2 "Executive Secretary to write to MAF and request an
understanding of why prosecutions can't proceed or get on with
progressing prosecutions."

T Gavin/D Bell          Carried

Executive Secretary reported that this issue is proceeding with
ongoing contact with MAF.

2.8.1 Make application to Trust for seeding money of $10,000 for
the Sustainable Farming Fund and $100,000 to underwrite the
project. Exec. Sec still to meet with David Kay.

2.8.2 Lin McKenzie to draw up Terms of Reference for SFF steering
committee and approach regional representatives to be delegates
for regional representation.

L McK reported that this is on hold.

2.8.3 Lin McKenzie, Richard Hatfield and Tim Leslie to work on a
contract for Mr G Mavromatis.

"That Lin McKenzie be sponsor of the SFF Project and that Mr G
Mavromatis be appointed Project Manager, subject to funding and
that the committees be formed."

D Bell/T Gavin          Carried

L McK reported that this is on hold.

2.7.3 Terry Gavin to discuss with PMS Operations Committee and
Nelson Branch the issue of AD training for those who wish to
participate but haven't yet had the opportunity.

TG has discussed with M Bush and another training is scheduled
for early 2001.

2.7.4 Richard Hatfield to raise concerns the NBA has with the
"Draft Standards."

This has been signed off.

2.7.5 Tim Leslie to request under the official information act,
the original terms of reference, what the exercise cost, and the
results of the bee response exercise held Pukekohe 1999.  In
addition the results/actions from the debrief and also results of
testing export package bees from Auckland and Waikato in 1998.

Exec. Sec. Reported that this awaits a result from the letter in
the same vain sent by Mr Blair from Auckland

2.7.6 Tim Leslie and Terry Gavin to write to Roger Polland to
discuss the NBA's minimum requirements for surveillance.

TG reported that he is due to meet Mr Poland before Christmas.

2.7.7 NBA to write to MAF (cc to Barry O'Neil) stating our
extreme discomfort with the potential for another level of
compliance for Authorised Persons in that NBA AP's cannot
participate for export needs.

Still to be actioned.

2.7.8 NBA to write to MAF and tell them that the NBA will not be
paying for EU testing and any past memos of understanding are now
withdrawn.   The letter to be published in first available
Beekeeper Magazine.

Letter to be sent early next week.

2.7.9 Contact MAF and ask about the posters for ports and request
they be up in seven days.

Exec. Sec reported that this has been achieved and MAF have given
an undertaking.  Apparently there has been some trouble with
Tranz Rail regarding using buyable space.

2.7.10 Re contract D Belton to clarify the unwanted status of
varroa. "The NBA representatives on the Varroa Management Group
be Richard Hatfield, Don Bell and Tim Leslie."

L McKenzie/J Lorimer    Carried

Exec. Sec. Reported that this had been completed and Mr Belton
had replied in the affirmative.

2.8.1 Executive Secretary to contact Murray Reid and thank him
for his full report and request that it goes in Beekeeper. Signed
off.

Other Matters

Based on the rates set by IRD it was proposed: "That Mileage
rates be paid at either: - $0.28c/km flat or $0.62 km for first
300km and then $0.19/km thereafter.

This to be reviewed once per year, when fuel fluctuates up by
more than 15% or when IRD changes rules."

J Lorimer/P Cropp           Carried

6.	Correspondence

Inwards - 29/10/00 - 24/11/00

Date:   From:   Re:

31/10/00        MAF Biosecurity Information about compensation
claims

01/11/00        Fed Farmers     Notice of National Council
Meeting 14 & 15 Nov

03/11/00        MAF Policy      Rural Support Co-ordinator
Contract

15/11/00        MAF Biosecurity Draft ToR for Varroa Management
Group

16/11/00        MAF Policy      SFFund - notice of decline of
application

15/11/00        D Belton        Return of Apistan strips

15/11/00        D Belton        Development of Varroa Phase III

17/11/00        MAF Biosecurity Enforcement letter re non
complying beekeepers

Morrison Kent   Various re privacy complaint

Compliance and Bad Debts        Various letters seeking
explanation

M Smith Various letters re debt collection

Outwards                        

23/11/00        CHB Print       Letter to editor/article in
November Beekeeper

23/11/00        Royal Commission on GM  Explanation of
relationship between NBA & Poverty Bay

Morrison Kent   Various letters re privacy complaint

Compliance and bad debts        Various letters of explanation

M Smith Various letters re debt collection

"That inwards be accepted and the outwards approved."

D Bell/P Cropp           Carried

7.      Finance

"That Executive expenses totalling $1909.69 be paid."

L McKenzie/T Gavin           Carried

8.		Reports		
		
AFB PMS - Terry Gavin.

"For the next year, the NBA write to MAF and request that the NBA
have Level One inspectors."

J Lorimer/L McKenzie        Carried

Action:

T Leslie and T Gavin to draft a letter.

Communications - Lin McKenzie

"That Angela Crompton be accepted as the editor of the Beekeeper
from 1 January 2001 and that L McKenzie formulate a contract with
her and Crown Kerr Print."

L McKenzie/P Cropp           Carried

"That Crown Kerr will be the publishers and Angela will be
responsible to them, further, Lin McKenzie to set up an editorial
policy board for the Beekeeper for approval at the next meeting."

L McKenzie/P Cropp           Carried

Website: - Lin will discuss ideas and progress with Richard
Hatfield.

Copywrite:- "Any permission given to 3rd parties re publication
of NBA property be revoked."

L McKenzie/P Cropp           Carried

Action: T Leslie to pursue this issue with legal advise from M
Smith.

Compliance and Governance - Richard Hatfield

Discussion held on deferral policy and a proposal put up by
Richard Hatfield was accepted as policy.

"The policy for levy deferral in the 2001 year be:

1.      That no more than 20% of the total levy that is due to
the NBA can be deferred. This will be on a first come first serve
basis.

2.      Beekeepers that have no levy debt other than though a
deferral at the 1 February may be granted a deferral.

3.      Any beekeeper that has failed to pay their levy on time
in the last levy collection period and did not enter into a
deferral shall not be granted a deferral this levy payment.

4.      Deferrals cannot be granted for total levies due that are
less than $500.

5.      Any beekeeper that fails to make a deferral payment shall
become immediately liable for the full amount plus any penalties
on the outstanding amount.

6.      The maximum deferral payment schedules are:

Levies Due for the year Number of Payments      When

$501-1,500      2       March, June

$1,501-3,500    3       March, June, September

Over $3,501     4       March, June, September, December

7.      No deferral will be granted to any beekeeper that has
previously been summonsed to court for failure to pay levy within
the last 5 years.

8.      No deferral will be granted to any beekeeper that has not
complied within the last three years or is being investigated for
non-compliance with any part of the legislation affecting
beekeeping. This includes (but not exclusive) failure to provide
ADR/COI, failure to register apiaries, failure to report disease.

9.      The no member shall involve or influence in the
determination of whom is granted deferrals except through this
policy or as a written request to the National President.

10.     All requests for deferrals must be received one calendar
month before the date that the levy is due and must be in writing
to the Executive Secretary on the form provided.

11.     If a deferral is not granted then the levy payer might
appeal in writing to the President stating the part of this
Policy that the Executive Secretary has not been complied with.
The President's decision shall be binding. If the President has a
conflict of interest then the Vice-President shall make the
determination.

Review of Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually by the executive at the
November executive meeting.

J Lorimer/D Bell                Carried

Meeting broke for lunch at 12.00pm and reconvened at 1.00pm when
it met with representatives of the Auckland Branch of the NBA;
Bob Blair, Graham Cammell and Trevor Cullen, there was an apology
from Brian Alexander, to discuss any issues of concern to them.

The Varroa Management Group and advice to was discussed.  It was
agreed that the ARAC group should be properly made up and
briefed.

The slow return of Apistan strips was raised.  This seems to have
improved now but will be watched.

Mr Cullen praised the current executive on its cohesiveness and
direction and posed the question of sending a NBA delegation to
the American Bee Federation Conference in 2001.  This is an
important Conference as it is a meeting of practical beekeepers
and would be an opportunity to look at varroa and marketing.  The
meeting agreed but could not see a way for the NBA to fund a
delegate at this stage.

Messrs Cullen, Blair and Cammell left the meeting at 2.00pm.

Environment - Jane Lorimer

Quiet at the moment apart from monitoring Animal Products Act and
GM Royal Commission.

Action Jane Lorimer to gather all APA work into the Environment
Committee.

Exotics - Terry Gavin

Working on details with Roger Polland - MAF.

Action - T Gavin to urgently follow through with R Polland on
issues related to Exotic surveillance and report at next meeting.

Exports - Phil Cropp

Executive Secretary to work with Phil and MAF Food.

The meeting agreed that the NBA was not prepared to underwrite
the EU testing programme anymore.

Action - Exec. Sec to write to MAF and convey this policy.

Post the meeting this issue has involved the President meeting
with MAF.

Finance - Jane Lorimer

Only extraordinary to report is the extra work Floyd's have done
on the GM Royal Commission.

Richard Hatfield proposed a new budgetary structure and layout
more in line with NZ accounting practices (attached)

"That the proposed format for the budget be adopted"

Richard Hatfield / Philip Cropp Carried

Action: Jane Lorimer to put together the 2001 budget based on the
format for discussion at the next meeting. (RH willing to assist
if necessary)

Marketing - Philip Cropp

"That the Terms of Reference be approved."

D Bell/J Lorimer         Carried

Discussion held on the direction for marketing in 2001 and it was
agreed that the NBA wishes to see a quality certification scheme
implemented that will act as a market position statement.

Action - The Marketing Committee work on a Honey Qual Mark as a
start for 2001.

Post the meeting, RH had written to the marketing committee.

Work on honey qual mark have as its objective to increase the
value of a certified product, ie. differentiate on quality and
certainty of product and production.

There will be: -

Standards for product quality.

Standards for product content - eg. primarily made up of
.............

Standards for product lab certification.

Standards for product production.

Standards for product auditing."

R Hatfield/P Cropp           Carried
				 
"The marketing budget for 2001 be $70.000."

R Hatfield/P Cropp           Carried.

It was also agreed that as a general principal from now on,
everything is either patented or trade marked and that the
Executive Secretary will discuss with Mike Smith an Intellectual
Property Contract that members of the Marketing Committee will
sign.

It was also agreed that the 2001 contract for the Marketing
Consultants would contain in addition to the usual - restraint of
trade for 1 year. non competitive clause that intellectual
property belongs to the NBA

Action - Philip Cropp to put in place by next meeting.


Support - L McKenzie

Lin McKenzie to continue to refine the SFF application.

Action - Lin McKenzie to have a refined application ready for the
February application round.

Varroa - Don Bell

Don reported that he felt two important issues were the need to
defend the movement control boundary and the NBA needs a mission
for varroa now that we are well into phase II.  He stated that if
the movement control boundary is not defended proactively, it
might as well not be there.

Mission for living with Varroa.

"To ensure that the economic, intrinsic and other values of
beekeeping are sustained throughout New Zealand:- the financial
viability of commercial beekeeping minimise the loss of domestic
beekeeper activities minimise environmental impacts product
quality and viability is maintained varroa maintains an unwanted
organism status with the long-term hope of eventual elimination."

D Bell/P Cropp Carried
		
It was noted that the Green Party policy is to eradicate.

Action - Don Bell to draft a letter to Ministers Sutton and Hobbs
outlining the NBA's stance (mission) emphasising the NBA's desire
for active spread reduction and the eventual elimination of
Varroa.

"The NBA's representatives on the Varroa Management Group be: -
Richard Hatfield and Graham Cammell plus the Executive Secretary.
This will give coverage from the three zones plus executive and
administration input."

D Bell/T Gavin           Carried

Executive Secretary

Main work has been follow up work on the Bad Debt and ADR/COI
default situation.

980 letters are being sent out on 30 November to alleged ADR and
COI defaulters based on information sent from AgriQuality.

Mike Smith has sent 94 letters to debtors from the 2000 year.  A
further 46 letters have been sent to debtors who have outstanding
from the 1999 & 2000 years.

At this stage it looks like the NBA will have to proceed to
District Court recovery from at least 4.

21 beekeepers have been referred to the MAF enforcement unit to
investigate alleged apiary registration irregularities.

9  General Business

9.1     Review of Executive Secretarial/Administration contact
with Federated Farmers.

It was agreed that Philip Cropp and Terry Gavin undertake this
prior to Christmas 2000.

9.2     EU testing.

Peter Cropp and Executive Secretary to continue work with MAF and
AgriQual where necessary.

9.3     Rule 17(a) - Governance Committee will consider this as
part of it's review.

9.4     AgriQual

Action - The Executive Secretary to write to and instruct that in
the year 2001 all correspondence re the PMS must go out on NBA
letterhead which the NBA will supply.

9.5.    Budget will be completed at the January 2001 meeting

9.6.    Transfer of Queens between islands.

This to be dealt with through the magazine.

9.7.    2001 Conference.

Lin McKenzie reported on progress in Queenstown.

Action - Tim Leslie to book Executive in the Conference Hotel
from 22 -27 July inclusive.

Discussion on AGM format.  It was agreed that the actual AGM be
short and deal with the legal requirements of the Association to
allow more time for invited guests and remits.

9.8     Crisis Management Plan

Agreed that a CMP be developed during 2001.

9.9     AFB PMS and future management of NBA

It was agreed that during 2001 the NBA actively work towards
having a structure that allows the employment of our own Level
One inspectors and that the structure also allows the NBA to
administer/oversee a Qual Mark enterprise for honey and bee
products.

The President thanked all for their input and closed the meeting
at 7.30pm