Fruit fly restrictions lift across most of Adelaide after $65m battle

City-dwellers can smother their pavlovas with fresh fruit – then take them to Nan’s for Christmas lunch – as fruit restrictions end across most of Adelaide on Wednesday.

A two-year, $65m battle to rid the state of the fruit fly has been hailed as a success, with stringent restrictions to lift in many regions from Wednesday.

Gardeners will be able to swap their produce as fruit movement limitations will be lifted in more than 170 Adelaide suburbs, with just one of the 12 outbreak zones remaining.

Growers and government officials hope to blow the final whistle on most of SA’s fruit fly incursions over the next week, after deploying sterile flies, an assortment of traps and baits and an army of orange overall-clad neighbourhood patrollers to fight the insects. Residents living in and around the inner-city suburb of Ridleyton still face restrictions until at least February 22 following an outbreak of Queensland fruit fly; in contrast to the Mediterranean flies that invaded Adelaide’s 11 other outbreak zones.

PIRSA biosecurity officers Joshua Dowsett and Saurin Barot helped with the fruit fly battle. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Restrictions in the five outbreak zones in the Riverland will also be lifted between December 23 and 27 if no other flies or larvae are found.

Primary Industries Minister David Basham said the end of restrictions in most city outbreak zones today would be a “huge relief” to many.

“From the northern suburbs to the southern suburbs and from beach to the hills, this has been a significant operation right across metropolitan Adelaide to eradicate Mediterranean fruit fly,” he said.

“This is by far the largest successful fruit fly eradication campaign ever delivered in Australia.”

Ellie, 6, and Drew, 9, in their backyard with fruit and fruit trees. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Outbreaks progressively spread after the first was declared in December 2019, including one in Port Augusta that was recently wiped out.

Horticulture Coalition of SA president and SA Produce Market chief, Angelo Demasi, said the infestation has cost growers millions of dollars.

“With Christmas, it’s certainly welcome timing so we can have cherries and strawberries and all the fruits we love back on the table and have no fear with regard to spreading the fly around,” Mr Demasi said.

“Definitely pavlova with lots of fruit is back on the menu.”

Supplied Editorial A Queensland fruit fly. Picture: Chloe Johnson

Shoppers in outbreak zones were asked not to remove any fruit from their properties – including produce bought at greengrocers and supermarkets – to reduce fruit fly risks.

Summerfruit SA chairman Jason Size, who represents stone fruit growers, said abolishing the Riverland’s outbreak zones would give producers access to a greater range of markets.

He said the incursions had cost affected businesses anywhere between $40,000 and $500,000, depending on the scale of their company.

Mr Size the series of outbreaks was the largest the region had experienced and the biggest impact was the lost markets in Australia and overseas.

“This is the first time it’s taken most of the Riverland out, apart from probably Loxton Waikerie Council,” he said.

People must still not bring fruit and vegetables into Riverland’s Pest Free Area.”