Qfly eradication campaign a model of quality
The recent eradication of Australia’s worst fruit pest, Queensland fruit fly (Qfly), in the metropolitan area in Alfred Cove has served as a model for future plant pest biosecurity responses.
Several new strategies and incident response actions implemented during the eradication campaign are now being incorporated and augmented into new procedures and plans within the Department of Agriculture and Food.
One key outcome is the agreement by industry to the development of a Western Australian (WA) Fruit Fly Strategy and funding model, which will be used in the event of future fly incidents, including Mediterranean fruit fly.
The Strategy will tailor the department’s incident response for insect pests, like Qfly, to WA conditions and outline roles and responsibilities.
This is pertinent to responses like Qfly, where the pest is endemic in eastern Australia but exotic to WA so the state’s response is more intense to protect our market advantage.
Industry pledges to contribute to the operational costs of the recent incident is another positive feature of the recent Alfred Cove incident.
This built on the recent incident in Kununurra where Shire biosecurity funds supported the eradication of Medfly.
While the details are still being finalised, these two incidents and shire and industry support have set a positive precedent for industry, government and community sharing the biosecurity responsibilities in the plant sector.
The use of an Industry Stakeholder Group as part of the Qfly incident response provided close communication with industry and the City of Melville and its residents and was another good feature of the incident management.
This sort of mechanism can enhance collaboration and support any future biosecurity responses.
The Stakeholder Group included representatives from throughout the diverse horticulture sector, including the pome and stone fruit industries, as well as the citrus and banana industries and bee keepers.
The industry and community collaboration on this incident was exemplary with the successful result being owned by all parties.
Area freedom reinstatement was obtained after a 12 week control program of fly trapping, baiting and many visits to residences in the quarantine area.
The department worked closely with the City of Melville to undertake surveillance and communicate with the residents in the suburb of Alfred Cove and surrounding suburbs in the quarantine area and beyond.
The use of new digital technology to aid surveillance and reporting during the eradication campaign is a communication channel that has shown great promise.
The department’s MyPestGuide Reporter app was used for the first time by department officers in a field incident operation to report and record host plant material.
The department is exploring more to expand its future use and application.
More than 12,500 on-property visits were recorded across 910 individual properties during the response.
The Qfly response was also the first biosecurity incident to be managed from the department’s new incident control centre.
Having a dedicated incident response facility improved synergy and efficiencies between staff and enhanced the response.
The use of social media also proved to be a powerful new tool in a biosecurity response.
In addition to the department’s media statements, website information and letter drops, Facebook and Twitter was used to communicate to educate the public and motivate local residents to restrict the movement of home grown fruit.
Analysis shows that more than 3000 people in the target area viewed the department’s Facebook post, which was shared a further 153 times.
Social media was most useful in educating a largely unaware metropolitan audience about the impact of Qfly and the importance of taking decisive action, such as restricting the movement of plant material.
There were also more than 660 calls to the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service hotline about Qfly, reflecting high community awareness and engagement.
Our staff responses were equally impressive, with 69 people from across the agency directly involved in the incident and many more indirectly.
In another first, 12 university students and backpackers were contracted to assist with host surveillance, field recording and bait spraying.
Residents were overwhelmingly supportive and cooperative and enhanced the smooth operation of the response.
The department is now reviewing the Qfly incident response and building on the lessons learned to improve future biosecurity responses.
This response highlights the importance of early detection, in this case by the department’s permanent surveillance trapping grid, and a rapid, collaborative response using contemporary tools which resulted in an effective and efficient eradication of a potentially devastating pest.
For more information contact Bill Trend, Incident Controllor, South Perth on 9368 3535.