Fruit Fly

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the house how the state government is putting measures in place to further protect SA's fruit fly free areas?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:53): With pleasure, I can announce to the house today that this government is putting biosecurity as one of the absolute platforms with primary production here in South Australia. Recently, when I attended the AGMIN in Brisbane, biosecurity was front and centre the priority with primary production right across this great nation. Here in South Australia, we have had a number of biosecurity issues in recent times.

In particular, a pre-election commitment was to install infrastructure that would protect our horticultural industry, and protect South Australia from fruit fly. For those who don't know about fruit fly, it is one of the most invasive insects in the world. Fruit fly has been detected on a number of occasions this year on the Far West Coast and in metropolitan Adelaide.

However, the jewel in our crown is that for horticulture here in South Australia, and particularly in the Riverland, we have a fruit fly free status. We also have area of freedom, which gives us a market advantage right around the world and in our export nations. It is also really important to note that it is our market advantage that gives us a premium price and gives us a reputation for presenting a premium product that is guaranteed not to contain any threat of fruit fly larvae or of that insect.

It is also important to note that, on Friday, I was up on the Wentworth Road to open up the 15^th fruit fly bin on the border, to make sure that we put in place every measure we can. The commitment was that we would put two extra bins in place to protect the arterial roads leading in to the Riverland and to make sure that we protect that vital industry—$1.25 billion directly impacted by the threat of fruit fly.

There has never been more pressure put on our borders, particularly with fruit fly. With our lucrative markets, particularly in citrus and stone fruit, some of the world's best produce is under threat. Through PIRSA, Biosecurity SA has acted, in its entirety, to do an outstanding job here in South Australia and make sure that they put every measure in place to safeguard and ringfence the Riverland to make sure that the Riverland upholds its status of being fruit fly free.

It is also important to note that we have now put measures in place, alongside the $5 million government commitment to fight fruit fly. We have our Sterile Insect Technology Centre at Port Augusta, which is an absolutely outstanding centre which will soon be in full production. I was pleased to stand alongside the federal Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. David Littleproud, at Adelaide Airport to have one of the first aerial releases to help combat the outbreak in metropolitan Adelaide.

It is critical to understand that the Sterile Insect Technology Centre up at Port Augusta is just another tool that we are using to combat fruit fly. The bins are another great way for people to declare or dispose of fruit. It is also important to note that we are going to introduce education programs and new signage to make people aware of the importance of keeping South Australia, in particular, and the nation fruit fly free.

At the moment, South Australia is the east-west lens for biosecurity. We know that we have invasive pests coming across our borders. We know that when we protect our borders, putting good measures in place, it gives our country and our state the reputation that we need to grow our export markets, to grow jobs and to make sure that we protect our primary industries.