Andrew Jessup speaks to the fruit fly forum at Shepparton
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali has challenged the Victorian treasurer over the lack of funding for a program that protects Goulburn Valley fruit from Queensland fruit fly.
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Cr Sali told a forum in Shepparton on Monday, March 17 that he had raised the issue with Treasurer Jaclyn Symes on her visit to Shepparton the week before.
Funding is due to run out in June, and already some aspects of the program will start to run down soon.
“We are not going to give up advocating to protect the horticultural industry within the Goulburn Murray Valley,” Cr Sali said.
“There is too much at stake and it continues to concern me that we are still having this conversation,” he said at the forum.
“Our region feeds the nation and all we need for our fruit fly program to continue successfully is a $1 million annual commitment from the Victorian Government.”
The region’s fruit fly program was funded to the tune of $323,000 this financial year.
The increasing risk of Queensland fruit fly was highlighted at the forum, delivered by Greater Shepparton City Council in partnership with the Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Program.
More than 50 people including about 25 growers attended the forum, designed to both educate and inform local horticulturalists, businesses, volunteers, community and local government.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell said the lack of a firm commitment to fund fruit fly control posed a significant risk to the $1.6 billion horticulture industry.
“The forum heard that fruit fly numbers, which were largely controlled by a wide area management program, started to balloon again from 2019 when Victorian Government funding was cut by more than 60 per cent,” Mr Birrell said.
International fruit fly expert and horticultural entomologist, Andrew Jessup, spoke about his expert analysis commissioned by Greater Shepparton City Council on the effectiveness of the GMV program and the fruit fly number forecasts beyond June 2025.
Prof Philip Taylor told the fruit fly forum that governments generally fund and run management programs for endemic pests
Macquarie University’s Professor Phil Taylor described the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and how effective this has been, particularly during a trial undertaken in Moira Shire for three years from 2019.
The Moira Shire trial is the most successful SIT trial that has been undertaken in eastern Australia.
Professor Taylor explained how the trial demonstrated that when coupled with an area wide management program, fruit fly can be controlled and managed very effectively.
Part of the crowd attending the fruit fly forum in Shepparton.
The GMW Fruit Fly Management Program saw positive results over many years, with fruit fly numbers reducing by more than 95 per cent in 2017 and then a further 60 per cent in 2018.
These positive results suffered post-2020 however, when funding was reduced by more than 62.5 per cent resulting in a less intensive area wide management program.
After this funding cut, fruit fly numbers have increased by more than 183 per cent since 2021.
During the forum, Mr Jessup explained that forecasts beyond 2026 for fruit fly within the GMV and broader Victoria were of significant concern, without a high input area wide management program needed to sustain fruit fly numbers.
As a best case scenario, Mr Jessup is forecasting an increase of more than 205 per cent and a worst case scenario of more than 600 per cent by 2026, without an effective area wide management program within the GMV.
It is expected that fruit fly numbers would then continue to increase.
Fruit grower Mitchell McNab expressed a fear that the program will be de-funded this year.
He said the fruit industry, a major economic driver for the Goulburn Valley, was under threat from the pest. While there seemed to be an expectation that growers would have to pick up the costs of any future program, part of the problem was the incursion of fruit fly from urban areas.
Mr Jessup said the Victorian Government had a great opportunity to fund a program that is already established within the Goulburn Murray Valley.
“The program has proven that it can effectively manage and control fruit fly numbers when adequately funded by the Victorian Government,” he said.
“The Victorian Government seems to be willing to take a big risk by not supporting a management program that will control fruit fly within a region as prolific in growing and exporting fruit such as the GMV.
“Supporting a $1 million dollar program to protect horticulture valued at over $1.6 billion is incredibly compelling.”
