Australian Native Bee Program Plan

The Nomia Australian native bee program will use a staged, evidence-led approach. Its purpose is to test whether selected native ground-nesting bees can support reliable crop pollination under Australian farming conditions.

The program will not move directly from an idea to national deployment. Instead, each phase will collect evidence, test risks and inform the next decision.

A Five-Year Evidence Program

The Nomia Program is planned across five years.

Each phase has defined activities, measurable outcomes and formal review points. Therefore, expansion will depend on evidence rather than assumptions.

The program has three main phases:

• establishment and baseline research;

• controlled expansion and crop trials; and

• farm-scale validation and replication.

Phase 1: Establishment and Baseline Research

Year 1

The first phase will establish the research site, biological infrastructure and baseline data needed for later trials.

Key activities will include:

• site preparation and infrastructure;

• controlled nesting and breeding areas;

• year-round flowering feedstock;

• baseline native bee populations;

• environmental monitoring;

• crop and pollination baseline data;

• operating procedures; and

• research and governance controls.

During this phase, Nomia will test whether suitable nesting, feeding and environmental conditions can be maintained.

The results will guide the design of later breeding and crop trials.

Phase 2: Expansion and Crop Trials

Years 2 and 3

The second phase will test whether the initial methods can support larger and more stable native bee populations.

Key activities will include:

• controlled population growth;

• expanded nesting capacity;

• multi-crop exposure trials;

• bee survival and reproduction monitoring;

• flower visitation measurements;

• pollination effectiveness testing;

• crop-yield comparisons;

• operating-cost analysis; and

• independent scientific review.

The purpose is not simply to record bee activity. Instead, the program must determine whether that activity produces useful and repeatable agricultural outcomes.

Results will be compared with suitable baseline data. Any limits, failures or unexpected effects will also be recorded.

Phase 3: Farm-Scale Validation

Years 4 and 5

The third phase will test the strongest methods under practical farming conditions.

Key activities will include:

• selected farm partnerships;

• larger field trials;

• interstate replication where appropriate;

• long-term population monitoring;

• seasonal and climatic comparisons;

• cost-per-hectare assessment;

• operating model validation; and

• preparation for future deployment decisions.

Farm-scale trials will proceed only where earlier evidence supports them.

Nomia will not treat one successful trial as proof that the method can operate nationally. Replication across crops, locations and seasons will be required.

Clear Review Gates

Each phase will include formal review gates.

Before the program moves forward, Nomia will assess:

• native bee health and survival;

• breeding and reproduction;

• nesting-site stability;

• pollination activity;

• crop outcomes;

• environmental risks;

• biosecurity controls;

• operating costs; and

• governance compliance.

Independent advice will be used where specialist review is required.

If the evidence does not support expansion, the program will be revised, delayed or stopped.

Measurable Program Outcomes

The Australian native bee program will focus on measurable results.

Success indicators may include:

• stable breeding populations;

• reliable seasonal survival;

• repeatable nesting behaviour;

• increased flower visitation;

• measurable pollination activity;

• improved crop outcomes;

• practical operating requirements;

• acceptable environmental risk; and

• credible cost estimates.

Results will be recorded in a form suitable for scientific review, grant reporting and government assessment.

Evidence Before Deployment

Nomia does not claim that native bees can replace managed European honeybees.

Instead, the program will test whether selected native species can provide a complementary pollination pathway for suitable crops and regions.

Some methods may succeed. Others may prove impractical.

Both outcomes are valuable because sound national decisions require clear evidence about benefits, limitations, costs and risks.

Long-Term Pollination Resilience

Pollination security, biosecurity pressure and habitat loss are long-term challenges.

For that reason, the Nomia Program is being developed as continuing public-benefit infrastructure rather than a short-term research exercise.

However, long-term growth will remain subject to:

• scientific evidence;

• available funding;

• regulatory requirements;

• independent review;

• board approval; and

• demonstrated agricultural value.