Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, upon notice, on 5 February 2013:

(1) How many neonicotinoid pesticides are registered for use in Australia, and can a list be provided detailing on which crops each is registered for use.

(2) Is the department aware of the finding by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that the neonicotinoid pesticide Imidacloprid poses an 'unacceptable danger to bees feeding on flowering crops'.

(3) In light of this ruling, will the department review the registered uses for Imidacloprid in Australia; if not, why not.

(4) Is the department aware of the growing body of peer-reviewed evidence demonstrating that neonicotinoid pesticides are significantly contributing to bee decline in Europe and the United States of America, and what steps has the department taken to review these studies.

(5) Has the department: (a) obtained; and (b) reviewed, studies by the companies producing neonicotinoid chemicals, who claim that they have research proving the safety of neonicotinoid products for bees, and has the department made any effort to make such research publically available.

(6) Given the EFSA findings that there is a widespread lack of information, and that current regulations contain 'major weaknesses', will the department review Australia's regulations in regard to neonicotinoid pesticides; if not, why not.

(7) Is the department aware of, or actively researching, effective and safe alternatives for the main neonicotinoid pesticides used in Australia.