Doomben Racecourse is abuzz with the sound of … bees!
The infield of Brisbane Racing Club’s Doomben Racecourse is buzzing with new residents, although these newcomers are not of the equine variety.
They’re European honey bees and their home is one of two Flow Hives that BRC has purchased. Another queen and colony for the second hive will arrive in coming weeks.
Bringing bees into an urban precinct is part of BRC’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, and part of a global movement to raise awareness of the importance of bees to our communities. Bees are critical for plant and food crop pollination around the world, but their numbers have plummeted in recent years, posing risks to ecosystems and food security.
BRC’s Property and Asset Management General Manager Jeff Kahler said the bees were sourced from a nearby Brisbane apiarist and Flow Hives were chosen to house them because of the hives’ innovative design, which allows honey to be extracted easily without contact with the bees.
“To harvest the honey you simply turn a tap on and the honey flows into a jar, rather than have to suit up, disturb the bees and remove the hive’s frames,” he said.
“It will be about six months to a year before we get the first harvest of homegrown honey. Each hive should provide about 30 to 40 kilograms of honey each year and the BRC chefs can’t wait to get their hands on it.
“It will be pure, organic honey and they’ll be using it for dishes in our premium food menus.”
The two colourful Flow Hives were decorated by BRC staff last year in preparation for the arrival of the bees.
They are being positioned close to BRC’s plant nursery, which occupies about half a hectare in the Doomben Racecourse infield. Here, the grounds and garden team raise thousands of plants and flowers from seedlings to maturity for the gardens across both Doomben and Eagle Farm racecourses, as well as BRC’s sports clubs, the Racecourse Village Shopping centre, and residential complexes. The fully equipped nursery operates sustainably, with its own composting system.
Grounds and Gardens Supervisor Harrison Towner and Team Leader Bruce Andrews will keep a watchful eye on the health of the new bee residents – a job made easier by the Flow Hives’ side observation windows.
Sustainability at BRC
BRC is committed to a green future and achieving Net Zero for Scope 1 and 2 Emissions with Integrity. Across our venues we have upgraded to more energy-efficient light fittings and refrigeration equipment, eliminated uses of single-use plastics, implemented a back-of-house raceday waste separation program to ensure recyclable waste reaches the appropriate destination and does not go to general landfill, and partnered with Containers for Change (COEX) to divert containers and bottles to recycle and refund points. Other initiatives to progress towards our Net Zero goal include maintaining our tracks with water harvested from the roofs of the Eagle Farm infield stables and installing solar panels on the Racecourse Village Shopping Centre, with plans for further solar installations at our racecourses.