Industry Update

Queensland Fruit Fly (Qfly) - South Perth Outbreak

Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) has been detected in the South Perth area. A response is underway to support eradication and protect Western Australia’s horticultural industries.

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. Operations are progressing, with a strong 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

Stakeholder and Community Engagement

Our Community Engagement Officers have been attending weekend markets and holding pop-up stalls at key locations across the Quarantine Area to increase Qfly awareness among the community and market vendors.

"Face-to-face interactions with the community have been very positive at pop-up stalls and markets. Residents are interested in what they can do to help eradicate Qfly and they understand the importance of ridding WA of this pest," said Community Engagement Officer Nick Taylor.

"Market vendors selling fruits and vegetables at weekend markets have also been very engaged with the response and eager to ensure they are following Quarantine Area requirements, like keeping their produce appropriately covered," he said.

Upcoming Qfly market stalls:

• Subi Farmers Market - Saturday 13 June
• Perth Markets (Community Market) - Saturday 14 June
• Kyilla Community Farmers Market - Saturday 20 June
• Vic Park Market - Sunday 21 June
• Manning Farmers Market - Saturday 27 June
• Palmyra Western Farmers Market - Sunday 28 June

If you would like to discuss hosting a pop-up stall or other engagement opportunities please contact QFlyComoSPerth2026PublicInformationManager@dpird.wa.gov.au.

What DPIRD is Doing

To prevent further spread of Qfly, response activities have achieved the following to date:

• 17,610 premises visits have been completed
• 5,743 lures have been deployed
• 326 fruit samples have been collected for analysis
• 2,522L of Naturalure bait has been applied to street trees
• 2,150kg of homegrown fruit has been collected from the Red Zone for proper disposal

Field teams remain focused on surveillance, baiting, lure deployment, and sample collection to support containment and eradication efforts.

Compliance Officers continue to attend local markets across the Quarantine Area each weekend to ensure that vendors selling fresh produce are complying with Quarantine Area Notice requirements, including keeping produce appropriately covered at all times. 

Implications 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.

Industry Webinar

For those who may have missed the Qfly industry webinar held on 6 May 2026, a recording of the session is now available, providing an overview of the Qfly response, the Quarantine Area and what this means for industry.

For further information, including movement requirements and approved measures, visit wa.gov.au/qfly. For questions not covered on the website, contact the team at qfly@dpird.wa.gov.au.

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. 

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation in the response to Qfly. 

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

For enquiries or further support, contact: qfly@dpird.wa.gov.au

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Important disclaimer
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.

Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), 2026