Winter helps out after $5m fruit fly bill

THE fruit fly eradication response in Tasmania has cost more than $5 million so far, with the State Government to continue its efforts into winter as the pest begins to die off due to colder weather.

Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney said as of April 30, $5.5 million had been spent on fruit fly eradication since the first discovery in January, with control areas still active on the Furneaux Islands and across northern Tasmania.

Fruit Growers Tasmania president Nick Hansen said the efforts were funded by an $8 million fruit fly eradication kitty set aside until the end of June, which includes funds for the Growers and Post-Farm Gate Assistance programs.

Mr Hansen said that $8 mil- lion would subsequently come out of the Federal Government’s $20 million Biosecurity Emergency Response and Research Fund, set up to fund costs of the eradication and to understand Tasmania’s future biosecurity risks. The fund will be paid by the end of June.

Mr Hansen said that during winter the eradication efforts would be altered as the temperatures decreased.

“The fruit fly die off in the winter months here as they’re from Queensland, so they are eradicated naturally,” he said.

“The trap monitoring will still be maintained but the awareness campaign will change over winter, from signage to urging people to be more vigilant about incoming fruit.”

Ms Courtney said the Department of Primary Indus- tries, Parks, Water and Environment would continue control-area restrictions and inspection of the 1000 traps during winter until the state was fruit fly free.

“We will ... be compiling evidence for the Commonwealth to use in negotiations with our trading partners in key markets,” she said.

“Modelling conducted by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture shows that the likelihood of fruit fly surviving long enough over winter is extremely low.”

Fruit fly was first detected in January, with finds on Flinders Island, and at Spreyton and George Town. A further two discoveries at Mowbray had been made in the past six weeks. DPIPWE said they did not require a control area around Launceston.