Fruit & veg within Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone

Hi Forumites

Hoping for some definite information on the quarantine restrictions for West to East travel within this region. For example, if you travel Renmark to Mildura and on to Lake Mungo NP, what happens with quarantine at the state border crossings? Have looked at the official quarantine web sites, and they are too vague for this specific travel. I know what happens going the other way (SA confiscates fruit & veges, regardless of where purchased), but could I buy in Mildura and take into NSW?
Otherwise it looks like 2 weeks or so on tinned food!

Thanks
John
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Reply By: Member - Terry W4 - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2016 at 10:48

Tuesday, Feb 02, 2016 at 10:48
I am interested in this as well. Did a trip which bought me from Port Augusta to Renmark to Mildura into NSW and I couldn't work out what the lines on the map really meant. Which side is the no go zone?

AnswerID: 595808

Reply By: Gronk - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2016 at 20:49

Tuesday, Feb 02, 2016 at 20:49
Renmark and Mildura are IN the zone. Same as Balranald and Mungo, so you can buy fruit IN the zone and as long as you don't go OUT of the zone and back in you should be OK.

Ring them and ask.

Broken Hill is just in the zone, but you can't take any fruit in, but we bought some there and left for Yunta and the Flinders ( which is outside the zone )
AnswerID: 595842

Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 07:51

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 07:51
South Oz is a state that that is a law unto itself. It has part of the FFEZ in it but it does not accept fruit from the eastern part of the zone. SA does not allow you to carry fruit the border from any direction. There are permanent inspection stations at Ceduna and near Renmark that confiscate fruit and vegetables from arriving travellers. There are seasonal inspectors at Bordertown and Cockburn. All other places where you cross you are required to bin your fruit and veges in the bins provided.

The definitive regulations when travelling from state to state are contained in Quarantine Domestic




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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 10:09

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 10:09
Yes the quarantine situation going in to SA Riverland is clear - fruit & veg will be confiscated.

But what happens if I buy an apple in Mildura and take it into NSW, which is the question here?

The Quarantine Domestic website just says "You need to obtain an appropriate permit or certificate or provide more information to carry this item with you when travelling to NSW/ACT". Hardly the information needed by the everyday traveller.

Thanks
John

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Follow Up By: allein m - Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 10:43

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 10:43
There is a Fruite Fly inspection station in oodla wirra in SA on the Barrier hwy just after Yunta some 258 k from Broken Hill

They will ask you for any fruit or items like that be handed over

There is a check point in oodla wirra and all traffic is stopped

Now one day the normal flow of traffic was halted there why
A person in front of me bought some fruite in Broken Hill and argued that Broken Hill is in SA and ok to take past the check point ( There is a huge sign on the Border in Cockburn saying welcome to SA how he missed that I have no Idea )

There is no other check points on the road to Mildura just a yellow bin with a sign asking to dump fruit bin and the road to Sydney has a same yellow bin bin as well

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Follow Up By: Sigmund - Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 13:51

Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 13:51
Dried fruit is OK by the way going into SA.
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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 21:20

Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 21:20
This pic might be of use for people entering the SA riverland area .
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Reply By: Tony H15 - Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 18:00

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2016 at 18:00
I get so sick of having to toss perfectly good fruit I have just bought in the bin. Receipts showing where you obtained the fruit you have just bought should be enough, after all it's not as if you can see the fruit fly buzzing around in the supermarkets a few klms the other side of the sign.
AnswerID: 595875

Follow Up By: allein m - Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 16:32

Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 16:32
yes it is not good handing over good uneaten food but the cost to the industry would in effect take food out of other people s mouths who are in the fruit growing industry .

I would say they are doing it hard and tough enough now

Many find it hard to get pickers to pick the fruit these days

The cost of the water to feed the plants

The job of the inspectors on these inspection places is to protect them

Most of us are honest and put items in the bins but all it take is one person and a entire industry can be wiped out
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Follow Up By: Bazooka - Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 17:52

Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 17:52
Can't help I'm sorry John.

Suffice to say that Ww fruit 'n veg (from the very same source as 'your' purchases in Broken Hill) is waved through by inspectors with nary a thought about the inconsistency of that approach. Individuals simply can't be trusted to tell the truth about where they got their produce (apparently) so a blanket ban applies.
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Reply By: K&FT - Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 19:32

Thursday, Feb 04, 2016 at 19:32
Interesting discussion

We travelled to Broken hill in May last year on our way to Darwin and I noticed the signs and the bin were missing from the eastern approach to Broken Hill.

With no signs and no bin we did not stop.

I have no idea why as yet.

Frank
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Follow Up By: allein m - Friday, Feb 05, 2016 at 11:36

Friday, Feb 05, 2016 at 11:36
you should have rang local council

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Reply By: luxtourer - Monday, Feb 08, 2016 at 21:24

Monday, Feb 08, 2016 at 21:24
Thanks to all the posters. No definite answers given, but hopefully the absence of comments on quarantine stations/bins leaving Mildura northwards will prove significant.

Cheers
John
AnswerID: 596024

Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, Feb 08, 2016 at 22:42

Monday, Feb 08, 2016 at 22:42
Hi John

The regulations for each state make no allowance for fruit being purchased within the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone in a different state. So if it says you can't that product from Victoria to New South Wales, that would include fruit purchased within the the FFEZ.

You note the "Ask" category, which is usually done for commercial quantities. However a phone call to NSW Primary Industries Quarantine section would give you a definitive answer. A docket from that day from a major store in Mildura just might be OK.

Are there no greengrocers at all in Buronga or Gol Gol?

Like you, we have travelled east to west into South Australia where their inspection is fierce.


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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 10:33

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 10:33
Hi MH

I don't agree "the regulations for each state make NO allowance" for where a particular fruit or veg is purchased, just that what allowances are made for the casual traveller are not clearly shown on the quarantine web pages, which, as you say, are mainly written for commercial quantities. And yes, maybe a call to their DPI would give an answer, but I wouldn't bet on it.

As for purchase in Buronga, etc, my searches didn't look promising - even Wentworth looked limited compared to Mildura. There is also the further complication that Mildura is in the Sunraysia Pest Free Area (PFA) which extends northwards into NSW, up to Pooncarrie, so you have to watch what you bring through that area as well. You'd have to wonder though why fruit purchased in the FFEZ and PFA areas (eg at Mildura) can't be taken anywhere in Australia!

With a bit of luck though, we will get the opportunity to check this all out before we have to buy any fruit and veg, and head out to Lake Mungo. A short drive should give the answer, if we haven't been able to discover the answer earlier.

Thanks
John

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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 11:48

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 11:48
Hi John, do let us now progress reports of what you find out. I appreciate that you are being very thorough, as not everyone is as careful.

Breakdowns do occur, and even with their strict policies, South Australia has several recent outbreaks of fruit fly in the state. These can only be caused by fruit being brought across the border.

Common sense can prevail with a good deal of trust on the part of the inspector but a docket alone does not prove that the fruit presented was the fruit purchased at that store. We had a common sense approach re-entering WA when we had to unexpectedly return to Kununurra after a day or two in the Keep River National Park, having stocked up on fresh produce for our Tanami trip.

Breakdowns can hurt. We had all our apple and pear orchard removed and burnt following an outbreak of Codling Moth in our area, and discovery of just one moth in a trap down the road from us. This can only have entered the area in fruit inadvertently or deliberately brought into Western Australia.

Once the region where I live was fruit fly free. Now we cannot grow stone fruit due to constant re-infection, and to have fresh local we buy from orchards who have to use strong chemicals.

You can't be too careful.

Even if you have to go without fresh fruit, I'm sure you will enjoy Mungo. There is a new visitor centre since we were there. Read about and take in the amazing discoveries and feel the antiquity, even though you cannot see them all. I have a 2009 My Blog on our visit to Mungo.





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Follow Up By: garrycol - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 12:08

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 12:08
I went from Wentworth to Mungo via Pooncarrie last year. As we started in Wentworth we were already in the zone so fruit purchased there was OK - however the road to Pooncarrie leaves the zone for a short period but then comes back in and there are signs and a bin. So in theory as you left the zone and come back into it, you have to dump the fruit you just bought in the same zone - but as you have left the zone in theory if could get infected so has to be dumped.

As we did not stop we kept the stuff we had just bought but were in theory in breach of the rules.

A map of the zone
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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:05

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:05
Thanks garrycol for that very useful information. To be very technical, Lake Mungo is within the FFEZ, but outside the PFA zone, but the latter now seems to be the where the most restrictions are in Vic & NSW. As we are planning to go up to Mungo from Buronga, then when we return to the Pooncarie road (and turn north), we can expect to find signs and a bin. So it looks like the only solution is to buy fruit & veg in Wentworth, but just enough for the Lake Mungo stay. Have to hope we can pick up more later in say Wilcannia.
Was it the Wentworth IGA where you purchased your fruit?

And thanks also to MH for your comments. Yes I agree care needs to be taken by everyone (though I wonder whether the fruit fly range isn't expanding regardless of quarantine resrtictions?) I saw there had been a fruit fly outbreak at Mildura recently.

Cheers
John
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:44

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 14:44
Yes it was the Wentworth IGA - normally don't like IGA but they are a necessity outback - the Wentworth IGA would have to be one of the best supermarkets I have been too anywhere.
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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:03

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 21:03
Thanks again garrycol. Yes, we're never sure what we'll see an any given IGA store either.

John
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Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:04

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2016 at 15:04
'
I'll tell you where you can run into strife........... Purchase your fruit and travel exclusively in S.A. to go south on Goog's track. At the Eyre Hwy turn east toward Ceduna. You have not left S.A. but before Ceduna you will encounter a fruit fly check point and be required to surrender all your fruit and most veg.
Expressions that you have not travelled from W.A. are to no avail.
Then you can continue on, still in S.A. and purchase new supplies. Works well for the DofA and IGA.
Cheers
Allan

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AnswerID: 596039

Follow Up By: luxtourer - Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 22:45

Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 at 22:45
Hi Allan
What odds would you even give a poor traveller departing Ceduna westbound, with newly purchased fruit, who had to make a U turn and go back to Ceduna for some reason?

But at least with that checkpoint, most people know where it is, and what the "rules" are. Not so with bins etc out in the middle of nowhere, as per garrycol's experience above.

Cheers
John
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 12:18

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 12:18
We used to camp on the coast of SA west of Fowlers Bay and west of the check point.
We had no trouble coming back east if we told them we had not been across the border.

Cheers,
Peter
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 12:40

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 12:40
'
Thank you Peter.
Well it did not work for us when we told them we had come down Goog's Track.
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:08

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 16:08
Thanks Peter

See also terryt's reply below.

Cheers
John
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Reply By: terryt - Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 06:51

Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 06:51
If going west from Ceduna but planning on returning. eg going to Fowlers Bay. If you stop at the inspection point and tell them they give you a thing like a pass out so you don't get inspected on return. Not sure how far west you can go.
AnswerID: 596114

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