Australia Extends Fruit Fly Quarantine Restrictions Until March 2027
Thousands of Perth households face continued limitations on produce as authorities combat the Queensland fruit fly.
Thousands of Perth households will remain under quarantine restrictions for fruit and vegetables for an additional six months, with the measures now set to continue until March 31, 2027. The quarantine was originally scheduled to end on September 26.
The restrictions are in place to combat the Queensland fruit fly, a pest primarily found along Australia's east coast, which was detected in South Perth and Como last year. In response, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) established a 1.5-kilometer red zone encompassing over 7,000 properties in South Perth, Como, Kensington, and parts of Bentley and East Victoria Park.
The quarantine measures aim to protect Western Australia's horticultural industry, valued at $1.49 billion, from the destructive pest.
Residents within the designated red zone are required to remove ripe and ripening fruit and fruiting vegetables from host plants. This produce must be consumed immediately or treated before being disposed of in general waste bins. DPIRD advises against placing host fruit in green waste bins or compost.
Once removed, the fruit cannot be moved within the red zone unless it has undergone cooking, freezing, drying, or preservation. DPIRD acknowledged that the discarding of fruit is disappointing but emphasized it as a necessary sacrifice for the eradication process.
A DPIRD spokesman stated that restrictions would be lifted as soon as the area is declared free of the Queensland fruit fly, despite the new expiry date of March 31, 2027.
Beyond the red zone, a 15-kilometer orange buffer zone remains in effect to prevent further spread of the pest. Host fruit and fruiting vegetables within this orange zone cannot be transported out of the area without treatment.
DPIRD chief plant biosecurity officer Vincent Lanoiselet urged continued community support to help break the pest's life cycle and prevent its spread to other suburbs and agricultural regions. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between industry, government, and the community for successful eradication.