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Red zone declared in Perth’s south after Queensland fruit fly detected in Willagee, Palmyra

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In short:

The Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) is posing a serious threat to the horticulture industry, with the pest found in Willage and Palmyra, south of Perth. 

A containment zone covering several suburbs has been established.

What’s next:

Residents in “red zones” have been urged to remove all fruit and vegetables. 

Residents in a large swathe of suburbs south of Perth are being urged to remove all fruit and vegetables from their gardens after the Queensland fruit fly was discovered. 

After the Qfly was discovered in Willage and Palmyra, authorities moved quickly to stop the spread of the invasive pest, declaring a quarantine area that could have a serious impact on Western Australia’s horticultural industry. 

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) chief plant biosecurity officer Vincent Lanoiselet said people in the red zone of the quarantine must act quickly to handle, eat or destroy all fruit and vegetables from their gardens.

An interactive map on the DPIRD website lists suburbs affected, including Bicton in the north, Hilton and East Fremantle in the west, Booragoon and Bull Creek in the east, and Coolbellup in the south. 

Other suburbs in the red zone include Melville, Myaree, North Lake, Kardinya, Samson, Winthrop, Murdoch, Bateman, O’Connor and Attadale. 

Perth's south put in red zone after Queensland fruit fly found in Willage and Palmira

The red zone includes several suburbs including Melvile, Myaree, North Lake, Coolbellup, Kardinya, Samson and Hilton. (Source: DPIRD)

Qfly is considered one of the most serious fruit pests in the world, attacking a variety of fruits, vegetables and even ornamental plants.

This destructive pest attacks native and introduced fruits including apples, avocados, peppers, tomatoes, chillies, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit and peaches. 

Dr Lanoiselet told ABC Radio Perth that residents in red zones must remove all fruit and vegetables from Qfly host plants, regardless of ripeness, as well as fallen fruit.

He said that if homegrown produce is ripe, people can eat it, or they can cook it, freeze it or dry it in the sun. To dry it, place it in a black plastic bag on a hard surface in direct sunlight for at least seven days. 

Perth's south put in red zone after Queensland fruit fly found in Willage and Palmira

Vincent Lanoiselet said Qfly posed a major threat to the state’s horticultural industry and homegrown produce. (ABC News: Nicholas Perpich)

Only processed fruits can be moved in or out of the red zone. 

“It is very important for anybody living in the red zone not to move any fruit within the zone or outside the zone,” Dr. Lanoislet said.

Uneaten or unprocessed fruit and vegetables should be placed in plastic bags and put in the regular trash.

In addition to the red zone, the quarantine includes an orange zone covering suburban areas within a 15-kilometer radius from the site of initial discovery. 

Perth's south put in red zone after Queensland fruit fly found in Willage and Palmira

Residents and businesses in orange zones need to strictly adhere to regulations regarding the transportation of fruits and vegetables. (Source: DPIRD)

Fruit and vegetables can be moved within orange and red zones as long as they comply with the department’s requirements, including safety coverings.

‘Fly poses ‘very significant’ threat

Dr Lanois-Wright said Qfly posed a “very serious” threat to more than 300 varieties of fruit and vegetables and could therefore have a devastating impact on the state’s horticulture industry .

“The Queensland fruit fly is a very serious pest .. it’s present in other jurisdictions such as the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and we really don’t want it to be present in Western Australia.”

Dr Lanoiselet said stopping Qfly from entering WA would help growers continue to export produce such as avocados to Japan and strawberries to Thailand.

Dr Lanoislet said the pest was discovered as part of the department’s surveillance programme, which includes setting up more than 2,000 fruit fly traps in the metropolitan area.

Several ABC Radio Perth listeners texted questions to horticulturist Sabrina Hahn on Tuesday afternoon, with many wondering if they needed to pull out their plants if they were in the red zone.

“No, don’t pull the plant out, don’t remove the flowers, you only remove the fruit,” Ms. Hahn assured them. 

Qfly has been eradicated nine times in the Perth metropolitan area since 1989, most recently in Bayswater and Belmont in 2023, Dalkeith, Claremont and Nedlands in 2020, and Coolbellup in 2021.

At the time, the government said the 2021 eradication campaign had saved the state’s horticulture industry and economy about $38 million a year in lost production and market access. 

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