The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has announced that 400 properties with fruit trees are to be targeted by biosecurity inspectors across Norwood and Kent Town as part of a proactive approach to ridding the City of fruit fly.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, David Basham said Norwood and Kent Town had been chosen for the targeted operation, which started on 9 August, due to a number of fruit fly larvae found in backyard fruit trees.
Mr Basham said the operation was in place ahead of warmer weather and PIRSA staff wearing orange overalls and carrying official ID would be going door by door offering to help remove at-risk produce.
He said the focus was on in-season citrus such as cumquats, oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruits, as well as fruit-fly host vegetables.
Mr Basham said that if residents were not home when biosecurity staff visited, information would be left on how to contact PIRSA to arrange a follow-up visit.
The Minister said the Government was strengthening its fruit-fly eradication response from all angles to protect the State’s $1.3 billion horticultural industry, which represented thousands of jobs and local businesses.
He said eradicating 18 fruit fly outbreaks in Metropolitan Adelaide, the Riverland and Port Augusta had cost $40 million.
“Everyone must play an important role in the eradication of the current fruit fly outbreaks by picking fruit promptly in your own gardens, collecting fallen fruit and vegetables off the ground, checking for signs of fruit fly and allowing our biosecurity officers access to your property to do their job,” he said.
Mr Basham said fruit fly restrictions would remain in place until at least December this year.
Further information can be accessed via the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 or at this PS News link.
