A fruit fly outbreak that resulted in restrictions on moving fruit and vegetables from one suburb of Adelaide to another has ended.
South Australia's Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has announced Queensland fruit flies have been successfully eradicated from the last remaining outbreak area in Adelaide — at Ridleyton, north-west of the CBD.
Restrictions on moving fruit between suburbs in Adelaide have been in place for the past two years after fruit flies were detected in a state that declares itself fruit-fly free.
Two Queensland fruit fly outbreaks are still active in the Riverland — at Renmark West and Pike River — and restrictions are still in place in those areas until at least May.
Restrictions in other areas of Adelaide ended in December.
The elimination process cost PIRSA more than $65 million and saw 677 million sterile flies released by 350 staff across 177,000 properties.
Staff also baited trees and collected fruit that had dropped on the ground.
PIRSA fruit fly response general manager Nick Secomb thanked residents, industry, businesses, community groups and the fruit fly response team for a team effort in stopping the outbreaks in Adelaide.
"Thank you to everyone for supporting fruit movement restrictions, allowing the PIRSA team to access and bait backyards, for maintaining your gardens and correctly disposing of waste," Mr Secomb said.
"Those in the Ridleyton and surrounding area, who were previously in the affected fruit fly area, can now pack lunches with any fresh fruit and vegetables — like locally-grown strawberries, apples and pears."
He urged anyone to call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010 if they saw anything that appeared to be a fruit fly.
An outbreak of Mediterranean fruit flies in Port Augusta also ended in December.
