Question Time

Fruit Fly

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding fruit fly.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Yesterday, the minister updated the chamber through a ministerial statement on the recent Queensland fruit fly outbreak in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. The sterile insect technology program, or SIT program as it is commonly known, is one of the very important tools for the eradication of fruit fly here in South Australia. My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the current SIT facility at Port Augusta have the capacity to expand for the necessary increase in SIT production that is likely to be required in eight to 10 weeks' time when the department has indicated its intention to drop sterile fruit fly into the northern metropolitan area?

2. If not, what is the minister's plan around expansion in the short term to ensure that the SIT program in the Riverland can continue to operate at capacity whilst this new outbreak is dealt with?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:20): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is certainly the case that once the initial baiting program has been completed we will be able to utilise sterile insect technology. Members will be aware from previous contributions I have made in this place that we were able to double the production of sterile insects at the Port Augusta facility due to investment in this current term of government and that is now 40 million sterile insects that are produced per week.

I look forward to being able to further update the house in the future. I have already had discussions around the options that might be available to us and, of course, the most important part in the short term is that we do get everyone involved who is affected in terms of preventing the further spread of fruit fly. On the PIRSA website, there is the information in regard to the outbreak zone and suspension zone, as well as the requirements and obligations that people are under.

I am sure that everyone will join together in saying that we are very keen that people do look at what those obligations are and do cooperate in this. It is important for our pest-free status as a state, it is important for the growers on the Northern Plains, and it is also important for those of us backyard growers who like to grow fruit and vegetables so that we are able to overcome this Qfly outbreak and move forward into the future.