Queensland Fruit Fly (QFly) South Perth Outbreak update 1 May 2026 No 4

Industry Webinar

Industry stakeholders are invited to attend an upcoming webinar providing a detailed update on the Qfly response and what it means for the pome industry.

This webinar will provide industry with an update on the current Qfly response, what it means for industry, and how industry and the community can support eradication efforts. The session will cover:

  • An overview of Queensland fruit fly, its lifecycle and key host fruit

  • Why Qfly is a pest of economic significance and the potential impacts of establishment in Western Australia

  • Details of the South Perth detection and the biosecurity response underway

  • Quarantine zones (red, orange and green), movement controls and what is required in each zone

  • Current surveillance, trapping and eradication activities

  • Practical actions for growers, businesses and supply chains to reduce risk

  • How industry can assist, including reporting and compliance

  • An opportunity to ask questions and clarify obligations

This session is intended for growers, packers, transporters, market agents and other industry stakeholders who may be affected by, or have an interest in, the Qfly response.

Wed, 6 May 2026 10:00am - 10:30am

 

Register Here

Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) has been detected in South Perth and Como. A Quarantine Area has been declared to support eradication activities. 

Current Status

The Quarantine Area established on 17 April 2026 remains in place as response and eradication activities continue across South Perth and surrounding suburbs. DPIRD Operations are progressing as planned, with a focus on baiting, property visits, surveillance and community engagement to the prevent further spread of Qfly.

The Quarantine Area consists of the:

·       Red Zone (Corrective Action Zone) – intensive eradication activities, including movement controls

·       Orange Zone (Export Assurance Zone – buffer area with movement controls in place

The Red Zone (Corrective Action Zone)

The Red Zone is an area within a 1.5km radius around the Qfly detections. Activities within the zone include intensive street tree baiting, property inspections, supplementary trap deployment and significant community engagement.

The restrictions on residents and businesses in the Red Zone include:

  • Residents and businesses must remove ripe and ripening fruit and fruiting vegetables from host plants every three days.

  • Fallen fruit must be picked up, treated and disposed of immediately.

  • Fruit must either be eaten immediately or treated before disposing of in the general waste bin.

  • Home grown host fruit and fruiting vegetables must not be moved within or out of the Red Zone unless it has been treated.

 The Orange Zone (Export Assurance Zone)

The Orange Zone is an area within a 15km radius around the Qfly detections. This zone acts as a buffer to prevent further spread of the pest.

The restrictions on residents and businesses in the Orange Zone include:

  • Host fruit and fruiting vegetables must not be moved outside of the zone unless they have been treated.

  • Host fruit and fruiting vegetables moving within the Orange Zone, or into the Red Zone must be maintained under secure conditions (covered, in packaging, fully enclosed or screened) to ensure the produce des not become infested.

  • The Chief Plant Biosecurity Officer Approved Measures for the movement of fruit or host plants can be found on wa.gov.au/qfly

Perth Markets fall within the Orange Zone and the Incident Response Team is working closely with the market agents and growers to ensure the risk of Qfly is minimised.

The full Quarantine Area Notice can be found on wa.gov.au/qfly

What else are DPIRD Doing

Response activities have entered an expanded operational phase.

There are an estimated 8,500 properties within the Red Zone, visits will continue progressively across the zone in the coming weeks.

Activities within the Red Zone include property visits, street baiting, deployment of lures, supplementary trapping, surveillance and community engagement.

These activities are designed to supress Qfly populations and support eradication.

What this means for Industry

  • Quarantine zones and movement controls remain in place to manage biosecurity risk and protect market access.

  • Movement restrictions for host fruit and fruiting vegetables continue to apply within the Red and Orange Zones.

Businesses operating within, or moving produce through, the quarantine area must ensure compliance with approved movement and treatment requirements.

Perth Markets fall within the Orange Zone, and work is ongoing to minimise risk while supporting continuity of trade.

The full Quarantine Area Notice can be found on wa.gov.au/qfly

Next Steps

Response activities will continue to scale across the Red Zone in the coming weeks. Property visits, surveillance, baiting, supplementary trapping and community engagement will be progressively expanded to ensure comprehensive coverage of the quarantine area.

Additional DPIRD staff area being onboarded to support operations, incident management and community and industry engagement.

Ongoing engagement with residents, industry and stakeholders will remain a priority to support movement controls, provide accurate and timely information and promote the actions required to support successful eradication.

Working with industry

We are committed to keeping industry informed and engaged throughout the response. Stakeholder feedback will continue to inform response activities where appropriate. 

Reporting and information

Suspected Qfly can be reported to the Pest and Disease Information Service on 9368 3080 or via the MyPestGuide® Reporter app.

Up-to-date information is available at: wa.gov.au/qfly

 

Nardia Stacy