Controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill have been lifted with no further evidence of Queensland fruit fly found in the area, says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north.
The decision to end the operation follows 6 weeks of intensive fruit fly trapping and the inspection of more than 230 kilograms of fruit.
Mr Inglis thanked residents and businesses in the affected area for their support of the response.
"It wouldn’t have been possible to get to this point without the support of the local community. Every person who has kept an eye out for fruit flies, complied with movement controls, and safely disposed of their fruit waste, has played an important role in protecting our horticultural sector.
"We are satisfied that with no further detections, the Controlled Area Notice restrictions can be lifted, and response operations closed."
Biosecurity wheelie bins that have dotted the neighbourhood will be removed and road signs will be dismantled.
While response operations are ending, Biosecurity New Zealand’s routine nationwide surveillance continues, with a system of nearly 8,000 fruit fly traps spread across the country. More than 4,600 of these are in the Auckland area.
"The surveillance traps target 3 exotic fruit fly species of concern: the Queensland fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly and Oriental fruit fly. This successful response is a great example of how surveillance traps help alert us to the presence of unwelcome pests and enable us to stamp them out quickly," says Mr Inglis.
Biosecurity New Zealand staff will be out in the community today handing out flyers about the response closure and personally thanking residents and business owners for their contribution to the effort.
"I’d also like to acknowledge the good work of our people and our partners across the horticulture sector. By working together, and responding quickly, we have managed this situation well," Mr Inglis says.
Key figures
- More than 9,800 individual visits were made to check the 358 fruit fly traps in the Mt Roskill area throughout the response.
- Over 364 biosecurity bins were distributed in the community to collect produce waste for safe disposal.
- More than 230 kilograms of fruit and vegetables were collected and examined for any signs of fruit fly eggs or larvae.
Read more on Queensland fruit fly, Mt Roskill
For more information, email: BiosecurityNZ_media@mpi.govt.nz
