Department of Primary Industry and Resources
A restricted area (RA) has been declared in Karama aftercitrus canker was found on a lime plant in the northern suburb.
The RA has been declared to prevent spread and supporteradication of the bacterial disease which has serious impacts on citrusproduction. Citrus canker does not pose any risks to human health.
National Citrus Canker Eradication Program Manager ClaireMorton said their team had confirmed the infected lime plant found in a Karama residentialproperty was from the original source of the citrus canker disease, indicatingthe disease has not spread.
All infected plants that weve located since citrus cankerwas first identified in the Northern Territory in April 2018 are from theoriginal source, which is good news that there is still no evidence of citruscanker spreading naturally in the NT, she said.
To eradicate citrus canker from the Territory, residents areasked to contact the National Citrus Canker Eradication Program if they haveany citrus plants. Citrus plants purchased or received after 1 January 2017 areof particular interest, as they may have been in direct contact with a diseasedplant.
Its great to have the support of NT residents in locatingcitrus plants and working with us to ensure their citrus plants are healthy,said Ms Morton.
With residents active support for the eradication program,including reporting symptoms of the disease, and not growing citrus plants inany of the restricted areas, well be able to eradicate the disease. It will begreat to have the Territory declared free of citrus canker, and to have all ofthe current movement and quarantine restrictions lifted.
The new restricted area in Karama includes all propertieswithin a 600 metre radius of the infected plant, including Crocodylus Park,CSIRO and the Peter McAulay Centre (Berrimah Police Station).
It is the 13th citrus canker restricted area to be declaredin the Northern Territory since April 2018. Maps of all restricted areas in theTerritory are available on the NT Government citrus canker webpage,www.nt.gov.au/citruscanker.
The Department of Primary Industry and Resources will bedirectly contacting all businesses and residents in the Karama restricted areato advise them of the movement restrictions that are now in place for citrusplants and fruit in their area, said Ms Morton.
Residents can also call or message us on
