WA Government declares Qfly successfully eradicated

On 19 August 2025, the WA Government announced in a media release that WA has been declared free of Queensland fruit fly after undergoing a significant community eradication effort. They say that Qfly has successfully been eradicated thanks to the dedicated efforts of government, community and industry.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development undertook an extensive eradication response with the support of the Willagee and Palmyra and surrounding communities as well as the Perth Markets to successfully eradicate Qfly.

More than 12,000 properties were visited, over 10,500 fruit fly lures deployed and almost 600 samples of fruit collected for testing.

The quarantine area covered a 15-kilometre radius from the initial detection point in Willagee and spanned 22 local governments.

Residents and local governments were key to the eradication by regularly stripping and disposing of their home-grown fruit and not moving fruit or plant material out of the quarantine area.

The local success story has been celebrated ahead of National Biosecurity Week which runs from 25 to 31 August, highlighting the important role of the community in helping to protect Australia’s primary industries, environment and way of life from harmful pests and diseases.

The Quarantine Area Notice will be lifted, with residents and businesses to no longer be subject to quarantine movement controls on fruit and vegetables required to prevent the spread of the plant pest.

Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis had this to say: “This achievement is thanks to an enormous effort by residents, businesses and local governments in our southern suburbs, along with the Perth Markets who faced a number of quarantine restrictions to ensure we could eradicate this pest as quickly as possible.”

Photo of Queensland fruit fly appears courtesy of WA DPIRD.

This article appears as part of the 29 August 2025 issue of Guacamole, AAL’s enewsletter.

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