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Waste Changes due to Queensland fruit fly (Qfly)

A Queensland Fruit Fly on a leaf
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has declared a Quarantine Area (QA) for the City of Melville to contain the spread of Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) which was detected in Willagee and Palmyra in November 2024.

Qfly is a significant pest of horticulture and home gardens that infests more than 300 types of fruit, including fruiting vegetables like chillies, capsicums and tomatoes.

Waste Changes 

Residents and businesses in the Red zone with host plants are advised to: 

  1. Remove all fruit: Collect all fruit and fruiting vegetables from Qfly host plants, regardless of maturity; this includes fallen fruit. Check the full list of host plants here. If you are pruning trees for verge collection, please strip cuttings of all fruit and dispose of using one of the methods below. 
  2. Treat fruit before disposal: Eat, cook, process, freeze, or solarise fruit. To solarise, seal the fruit in a black plastic bag and place it on a hard surface in direct sunlight for at least 7 days. 
  3. Dispose of safely: Always place treated fruit in a black plastic bag before putting it in your general waste bin - do not put fruit in your recycling or FOGO bin. We also suggest squeezing any excess air from the bag before placing it in your bin, to help save space. 

We understand that removing all host fruit from your garden is a sacrifice - it is a temporary measure but a powerful one that is designed at limiting the risk to your garden in the long term. 
  
If Qfly is not eradicated, we risk our farmers losing access to valuable export markets and backyard gardeners losing the ability to grow many fruit and vegetables without the ongoing use of pesticides. 

An overhead view of the City of Melville Operations Centre.

Skip bin available - dispose of excess treated fruit

To support residents living in the Qfly Red Zone who have an excess of treated (solarised) produce, a skip bin is available at the City of Melville Operations Centre.
 
Residents who have stripped all fruit and fruiting plants (avocados, tomatoes, chillis and capsicums) and treated produce using one of the approved methods can now dispose of this at a dedicated skip bin located at 13 Baramanti Rd, Murdoch.

No bookings are necessary; simply keep an eye to your left when approaching. Please ensure all bin bags are well secured during transport and disposal, to help prevent further spread of Qfly.
The affected QA for Qfly

Movement Restrictions

Residents and commercial operators in the Red and Orange zones, as shown, wishing to move fruit and host plants within or outside of the zones are urged to consult the DPIRD website for movement requirements. 

An online interactive map can assist residents and businesses identify what zone may apply to them.

Both homegrown and commercial fruit coming into or passing through the Quarantine Area must be securely covered to ensure the produce does not become infested.

More Information About Qfly and the Quarantine Area 

For more information, including information about the biosecurity response, frequently asked questions and how to report suspected Qfly activity, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/qfly  

Reporting 

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