Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Ngāwhā Prison inmates buzzing after getting bee qualifications

Northern Advocate
9 May, 2019 02:00 AMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Dan Clark, NorthTec's pathways manager for primary industries (left), Darren Faber (Northern Regional Corrections Facility) and NorthTec apiculture tutor Sean Murphy with jars of Ngāwhā honey, featuring prisoner-designed labels.

Dan Clark, NorthTec's pathways manager for primary industries (left), Darren Faber (Northern Regional Corrections Facility) and NorthTec apiculture tutor Sean Murphy with jars of Ngāwhā honey, featuring prisoner-designed labels.

The Northland Regional Corrections Facility (Ngāwhā prison) has staged what is expected to be the first of many apiculture (Level 3) graduations.

The course began in August last year with nine inmates, six of whom graduated last week - the other three were unable to be there - and are now qualified to work in the beekeeping industry or look after their own hives on family land.

They will potentially be contributing to a $5 billion industry built on around 800,000 registered hives through the country that produce some 20,000 tonnes of honey every year.

Tutor Sean Murphy (left) and Corrections' assistant regional commissioner Alastair Riach checking some of Ngāwhā prison's hives. Photos / Debbie Beadle
Tutor Sean Murphy (left) and Corrections' assistant regional commissioner Alastair Riach checking some of Ngāwhā prison's hives. Photos / Debbie Beadle

Some of the Ngāwhā honey was entered in this year's Corrections competition, won by Tongariro, where it was highly commended, providing the opportunity to see how other facilities work with the bees and their byproducts, and a better understanding of what the judges were looking.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tongariro prison is now looking at setting up a honey extraction plant, in partnership with a commercial producer.

The Ngāwhā project began with 13 hives, on mānuka-covered prison land, which had expanded to 47 by the time the course was completed.

Discover more

Environment

Our survival depends on saving bees

15 May 09:30 PM
New Zealand

Family reeling after 50 beehives destroyed in deliberate attack

27 Aug 05:00 PM

Couple buzzing about new business concept

29 Nov 06:00 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients
Northern Advocate

The inspiring lives behind this year's Civic Honours recipients

Alan Bayly, Harry Carter, Bett Harvey and Darrell Trigg are this year's recipients.

05 Sep 11:00 PM
'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on
Northern Advocate

'My children were washed away, one by one': Captain of the Capitaine Bougainville recalls the tragedy 50 years on

05 Sep 05:00 PM
Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs
Opinion

Opinion: Gambling with the future of sport and recreation clubs

05 Sep 04:50 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP