In 2006, the Australian Parliament held an inquiry into Rural Skills, Training and Research. The inquiry report was tabled in late February 2007 by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The Hon Peter McGauran. Several of the submissions to this inquiry came from the bee industry.
Two of the recommendations in the report were that a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for the honeybee industry be set up and that a permanent quarantine facility for the importation of new bee stocks be maintained. As a result of these recommendations, the Minister provided funds for a workshop to address the issues and provide possible solutions.