Welcome to the latest edition of our Prevent Fruit Fly newsletter! As we’re preparing for the upcoming season, vigilance is crucial for effective fruit fly management. For valuable tips and tools, visit our website.

In this edition, we provide an update on the National Fruit Fly Council’s (NFFC) visit to South Australia, including tours of the upgraded Port Augusta SIT facility and the SIT pilot on Kangaroo Island. We also recap the August NFFC meeting and the recent Research Working Group meeting at Hort Innovation’s office in Sydney. In addition, we’re excited to use this opportunity to introduce some of our dedicated NFFC members who work tirelessly to advance our National Fruit Fly Strategy.

With exotic fruit fly incursions becoming an increasing threat, it’s crucial to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity measures. The NFFC Executive Committee travelled to Cairns in mid-October and met with key support programs. We connected with the Queensland Government’s Department of Primary Industries team at the Cairns research facility and researchers from James Cook University, who are launching a PhD project on managing fruit flies in Papua New Guinea Treaty Villages. The team also visited local growers in the Mareeba region to understand their challenges and opportunities.

It feels like just yesterday that over 120 delegates gathered at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide for the successful National Fruit Fly Symposium 2023. We are already planning for the 2025 Symposium in Brisbane, set for September or October, and will coincide with the 2025 FASTA Symposium. This will provide excellent opportunities for learning and collaboration.

Stay tuned for exciting webinars in the coming months. I look forward to connect with you soon.

Stuart Burgess

Manager, National Fruit Fly Council