State Government collects $4.1m in fines during ‘worst ever’ fruit fly outbreaks

The State Government has collected $4.1m in fines from people breaking fruit fly-related restrictions as PIRSA says this is the worst outbreak SA has seen.

The current fruit fly infestations in South Australia are the worst the state’s seen, PIRSA’s deputy chief executive Mehdi Doroudi says.

Professor Doroudi yesterday told Parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee 9737 fines had been issued for breaches under fruit fly rules between January 2019 and the end of February 2021, netting $4.1m in fines.

Professor Doroudi said the state normally saw an average of 2.5 fruit fly outbreaks each year, but it was currently dealing with 11 in Adelaide and another 5 in the Riverland.

Responding to a question from SA Best’s Frank Pangallo, he said there was “no doubt this has been the worst we have ever seen”.

“Not only in your time but in my time while we have been around parliament and the state agencies in the history of fruit fly, if you look at that, it has been the worst.

“It’s a combination of many things – this year we had less very hot, warm, days than in comparison to may other years.

“Those very hot days … usually help for getting rid of the fly and larvae.”

Restrictions on moving fruit are due to be in place until at least December across all of the outbreak areas – but that will be extended if more larvae or flies are found.

PIRSA biosecurity officer Jye Jarrad working in one of the Adelaide outbreak zones. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The government has spent nearly $28m on controlling the outbreaks through measures such as baiting, stripping trees and disposing of fruit and releasing millions of sterile fruit flies.

Outbreaks across the state have cost producers millions of dollars in lost income and extra costs to treat fruit so they can still sell it.

They are bracing for another season of major disruption in the summer of 2021/22.

Mr Pangallo asked whether sudden border closures might have contributed to any of the state’s outbreaks because of a rush of people moving into SA from interstate.

PIRSA chief executive Michelle Edge said demonstrating “cause and effect in those circumstances is challenging”.

However, Prof Doroudi said in addition to people trying to beat border closures, the pandemic created difficult working conditions for PIRSA staff.

“With COVID while a rush of people coming in was the case … everyone needed to go home,” he said.

“No doubt this has been the worst we have ever seen,” Prof Doroudi said.

“We had to do our job in a very, very restricted environment. addressing all the social distancing.”

For example, smaller teams of PIRSA staff were able to travel together in outbreak areas and fewer people could attend briefings.

Ms Edge said her department still believed it could eradicate fruit fly from SA.

She said PIRSA had not been inspecting schools for compliance with fruit movement restrictions, but it had provided them with general information on how to reduce the risk of fruit fly infestations.

Ms Edge said the government had spent about $400,000 on a marketing campaign about fruit fly.

Ms Edge also said she would respond later to a questions from Opposition primary industries spokeswoman Clare Scriven about how the Government was dealing with produce swaps publicised on social media.

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