QFF Information for Travellers
DO NOT TRAVEL WITH FRUIT/VEGETABLES!
Going from your supermarket to home is quite alright but 'travelling' or 'touring' some distance from your home to another region with fruit is discouraged.
The best way to prevent the spread of fruit fly is not to travel with fresh fruit/vegetables at all, whether home-grown or purchased.
Heavy fines apply if you are caught taking host fruit/vegetables into a Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone (i.e. Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area).
If you know you have fruit fly in your garden or live in a declared fruit fly outbreak area you should not transport fruit from your home at all. Unless it is preserved or canned.
What fruit and vegetables are Queensland Fruit Fly hosts?
Fruit flies lay eggs in many types of maturing and ripe fruit, as well as in some vegetables.
Host fruit and vegetables include: Fruit colour and shape can vary considerably, images are indicative only. Many fruits are also known by different names.
Queensland fruit fly management zones
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| Roadside bins for disposal of QFF host fruit. |
In addition to the following information, zone locations and advice to travellers can be found on the map of QFF management zones.
Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone
The Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone (FFEZ) includes the key fruit production areas of Sunraysia, the Mid Murray and the Goulburn Valley, along with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales and the Riverland of South Australia.
Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, the Commonwealth and several industry bodies agreed to establish the FFEZ to allow exports of horticultural produce from the area to fruit fly sensitive markets within Australia (Victoria, NSW, SA, Tasmania and WA) and overseas. The FFEZ has also been successful in opening up important new markets for citrus and stone fruit in the USA, New Zealand and South East Asia. Some of these markets (eg.USA) will not accept fruit unless it is from such pest free areas.
Movement of QFF host fruit into the FFEZ is generally prohibited. Signs on major roads indicate when you are entering the FFEZ, and that you must dispose of any host fruit in roadside quarantine bins. Visitors to the FFEZ cannot use receipts or tax invoices to authorise the entry of host fruit into the zone.
Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area
The Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area (PFA) is a high health zone located within the FFEZ and has been established to provide greater fruit fly control measures for the high-value horticultural crops (including citrus, table grapes and stone fruit) grown in the area.
The PFA is a collaborative project between the Victorian and NSW Governments, the citrus, table grape and stone fruit industries, and Horticulture Australia Limited.
Movement of QFF host fruit into the PFA is generally prohibited. Signs on major roads indicate when you are entering the PFA, and that you must dispose of any host fruit in roadside quarantine bins. Visitors to the PFA cannot use receipts or tax invoices to authorise the entry of host fruit into the zone.
For more information, visit Pest Free Area for a Greater Sunraysia
Permanent Fruit Fly Zone
QFF is endemic in a large part of eastern Victoria known as the Permanent Fruit Fly Zone (PFFZ). The PFFZ is declared as a Restricted Area under the Act and includes the city of Wodonga. Fruit fly host fruit must not be moved from the PFFZ into other parts of Victoria.
DPI does not currently conduct fruit fly eradication activities within the PFFZ.
