More than 170 suburbs across metropolitan Adelaide will have a significant easing of restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables with the successful eradication of Mediterranean fruit fly.
Most residents in the metro area can once again move fruit from their properties after the successful two-year operation, however there is still a Queensland fruit fly outbreak affecting the Ridleyton area.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham thanked the South Australian public for following the rules as well as their patience.
“From the northern suburbs to the southern suburbs and from beach to the hills, this has been a significant operation right across metropolitan Adelaide to eradicate Mediterranean fruit fly,” Minister Basham said.
“Now the majority of Adelaide residents can once again move fruit and vegetables from their property which will be a huge relief to many.
“It’s been an extensive program visiting residents as our fruit fly officers went door-to-door undertaking organic baiting and checking fruit and I’d like to thank the residents of Adelaide for their support during this time.
“This is by far the largest successful fruit fly eradication campaign ever delivered in Australia.
“By working together as a community, we have protected our local fresh fruit industry from the Medfly threat and we have also stopped this pest from spreading from Western Australia to the eastern states.
“There are still Queensland fruit fly outbreaks affecting Ridleyton in the city and in the Riverland so I ask those living in those areas as well as surrounding suburbs to carefully check the map on the fruit fly website.
“Those within the red outbreak zone still can’t move fruit and vegetables from their properties but those within the yellow areas can. Make sure you don’t move fruit out of a yellow area into a green.
“Everyone must continue to be vigilant and keep their gardens tidy to prevent fruit fly in the future. I urge everyone to pick fruit once ripe, collect fallen fruit, check fruit for maggots, and call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 if you see anything suspicious.
“It’s also a timely reminder that regardless of outbreaks you must not bring fruit and vegetables into the Pest Free Area of the Riverland.
“We all need to play our part to protect South Australia from fruit fly so that we can proudly continue to remain fruit fly free. All this work protects our growers and our $1.3 billion horticulture industry at risk from fruit fly and the thousands of jobs the sector supports.”
Minister Basham said to prevent future fruit fly outbreaks the State Government will maintain the zero tolerance approach at the Yamba border checkpoint and random roadside inspections, with heavy fines for travellers caught bringing prohibited fruit into South Australia or the Riverland.
The Mediterranean fruit fly outbreaks successfully eradicated in Adelaide are Angle Park, Black Forest, Blair Athol, Campbelltown, Croydon Park, Klemzig, Marleston, Pooraka, Rosewater, Semaphore Park and Warradale.
Since 2019 around 350 staff were employed at the peak of the response to eradicate Mediterranean fruit fly from Adelaide’s suburbs, visiting 177,000 homes and properties and releasing 677 million sterile flies.
There were more than 86 red centres where eradication activities were targeted, 309 wild fruit flies captured in traps and 193 sites where fruit fly larvae was detected in fruit. To eradicate Medfly, biosecurity staff set 13,530 additional fruit fly traps, applied 467,000 litres of bait and collected 367 tonnes of fruit across the Adelaide metropolitan area.
As long as there are no further detections, the Ridleyton Queensland fruit fly outbreak is due to end on 22 February 2022. Riverland Queensland fruit fly outbreaks are due to end on 27 December 2021.
The Port Augusta Mediterranean fruit fly outbreak was successfully eradicated on 12 December.
Visit fruitfly.sa.gov.au
