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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-09-24 Daily Xml
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Fruit Fly

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (15:30): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Can the minister advise what the state government is doing to ensure South Australia remains fruit fly free?

The SPEAKER: Assuming that it is. Minister.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (15:30): I thank the member for Kaurna for the question and acknowledge that there was an outbreak of fruit fly in Sellicks, in the member's area, which was successfully eradicated—actually, it is the member for Finniss's area now. It has moved, but it is not far from your boundary or mine.

We are quite concerned about the 31 outbreaks in the Sunraysia area, both in New South Wales and Victoria, following the deregulation of the control of fruit fly in Victoria. There have been over 300 individual fruit flies detected in that part of the world at this time of the year, which is normally when things are a little bit quieter with the fruit fly. The South Australian government is being extremely vigilant and we're upping our fight against fruit fly to ensure that South Australia maintains its fruit fly free status. It is terribly important to a horticultural industry that is worth $675 million a year in South Australia.

We will open the Pinnaroo quarantine station a month earlier than traditional operating times and close one month later: it will open on 1 November and go through to 31 May. In addition, a second shift has been approved at Pinnaroo for the peak holiday period during December and January. We will maintain the Oodla Wirra quarantine station's double shift operating hours, from 1 September through to 31 May, and commence a night shift at Oodla Wirra, from the beginning of December until the end of March. This is a period of high threat of larvae introduction from New South Wales and Queensland.

We will maintain a permanent 24-hour a day, seven days a week presence at the Ceduna and Yamba quarantine stations. We will increase audits and inspections on all registered importers of produce, with additional increases for businesses importing fruit fly produce from Victoria and a further increase for those importing produce from within the Sunraysia area. We will review imported consignments to identify any unregistered importers.

We will deliver a schedule of random roadblocks targeting the highest risk times for importation of infested fruit, along with increasing checks on incoming rail traffic and at local grower markets. We are consulting with industry and revising the South Australian fruit fly strategy to confirm roles and responsibilities in the event of a fruit fly outbreak in the South Australian Riverland. We are proposing a repeat of last year's community awareness campaign to successfully raise the profile of fruit fly awareness amongst travellers and the South Australian public.

The South Australian government is also investing $3 million to develop a sterile insect technology facility and research initiative at Port Augusta. This development has support from national research partners for a further $22 million in Q-fly research and development over five years. This government takes the threat of fruit fly very seriously. Maintaining South Australia's fruit fly free status, as I said at the start, protects our $675 million horticultural industries and supports our economic priority of premium food and wine from our clean environment and exported to the world.

The measures outlined today for the coming summer, as well as our ongoing investment, will bolster the protection around the state and around the Riverland fruit growing areas. However, it is beholden on all South Australians and those coming here from interstate to be vigilant. Just remember, it is a pretty basic rule: if you are heading into South Australia, don't bring any fruit with you, and if you are heading from other parts of South Australia into the Riverland area don't take any fruit with you, unless you have a receipt for your fruit. We need all South Australians to join together.

I appreciate, too, the work the member for Chaffey does in this area. This year, it was the first outbreak in the Riverland for 23 years, and the way that community came together was terrific. I also thank the member for Hammond for the work he does to protect the workers and the industry in his local area.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: To the member for Stuart too, of course: thank you for maintaining this important issue and the biosecurity in your area. It is fantastic, and it is good to see everyone working together. Thank you.

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