Industry Update

Queensland Fruit Fly (Qfly) - South Perth Outbreak

Current Status

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.

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 prevent the further spread of Qfly.

Quarantine Area Notice

A Quarantine Area Notice (QAN) is in place with requirements designed to swiftly eradicate Qfly. The QAN is currently in effect until 26 September 2026, but it is important to note that this date will likely be extended based on detections and Area of Freedom requirements. DPIRD will be sure to keep industry informed of any changes to the QAN or movement restrictions.

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

Anyone selling host plants, host fruit or fruiting vegetables in the Red or Orange Zone of the Quarantine Area must:

• Keep host fruit and fruiting vegetables inside buildings or covered with plastic wrap, tarpaulins, hessian, mesh, or other secure coverings to prevent infestation by Qfly.
• Keep host fruit and fruiting vegetables inside fully enclosed vehicles or securely covered during transportation in the Quarantine Area.
• Remove host fruit from host plants before passing through or leaving the Quarantine Area.

Working with Industry

The Qfly Compliance team continue to conduct inspections each week at the Perth Markets, weekend farmers markets and supermarkets across the Quarantine Area. The team has been impressed with the high levels of compliance over the past weeks and appreciate the efforts being made to ensure that quarantine restrictions are being met.

While we understand that keeping produce covered securely at all times can be an inconvenience for some vendors, it is an important measure to support the eradication of the pest.  

DPIRD is committed to keeping industry informed and engaged throughout the response. Stakeholder feedback will continue to inform response activities where appropriate. 

If you have any feedback or questions, please email us at qfly@dpird.wa.gov.au. 

What DPIRD is Doing

A dedicated staff of approximately 180 Field Surveillance Officers remain focused on surveillance, baiting and sample collection. To date, the response has achieved:

• 64,687 premises visits completed
• 850 fruit samples collected for analysis
• 5,307L of Naturalure bait applied to street trees

DacLure Decommissioning 

DacLure fruit fly lures have now been removed from the Red Zone. The removal of the lures is an important stage, as part of the national fruit fly protocols, to evaluate our eradication efforts. Baiting, collecting host fruit samples and inspections will continue at properties in the Red Zone.

Fruit Collection and Disposal

The best way to prevent Qfly from reproducing is to remove host fruit. Noting the difficulty many residents face in treating and disposing of large quantities of host fruit, we have continued to provide the opportunity for residents in the Red Zone to have their fruit disposed of by DPIRD. 

To date, residents have removed and bagged over 23.5 tonnes of host fruit for collection, treatment and proper disposal by DPIRD. This is a significant achievement and will help to break the Qfly lifecycle.

Reporting and Information

Suspected Qfly detections, including larvae (maggots) found in fruit, 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