On Tuesday, November 5, Mr Walsh said he had recently seen a number of roadside quarantine disposal points in a state of neglect in northern Victoria.
“I stopped at the control point on the Murray Valley Hwy near Kerang the other day, and it looked like someone’s dumped rubbish, not a vital Agriculture Victoria frontline defence,” he said.
The control point sign was almost unreadable, and two of three bins were tipped over while the one still standing no longer had a closure flap, Mr Walsh said.
“After first stopping at the Kerang site, I have driven past it three times since then and the only change I saw on my most recent trip was the third standing bin had also been knocked over.”
Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Project regional co-ordinator Ross Abberfield said that while the quarantine disposal point was outside his area of management, it was likely in need of attention.
“Based on (Mr Walsh’s) commentary, it does sound like it needs more funding — certainly more maintenance and upkeep,” Mr Abberfield said.
A report by the project released last month said a surge in Queensland fruit fly populations was expected in the region in late October and throughout November.
Quarantine regulations in Victoria restrict travellers from bringing fruit into some regional areas, with roadside bins in place for disposal.
Fruit fly can be spread by travellers who bring infested fruit into horticultural areas, and travellers are asked to follow local advice as necessary, according to Visit Victoria.
The Goulburn Valley is the largest canned pear producer in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Murray Valley is Australia’s largest stone fruit producing region.
Mr Abberfield said the community could assist farmers and growers by identifying unmanaged feral fruit trees on public land and reporting them.
The Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Project can also be contacted by community groups wishing to receive a presentation on Qfly management.
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