Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:48): (1364) My constituency question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister commit to funding the Queensland fruit fly management program in Northern Victoria beyond 2025? The fruit fly management program has been incredibly successful in the Goulburn Murray Valley region, reducing fruit fly numbers by 95 per cent in its first year and 60 per cent in its second year, but since this government reduced the funding in 2020 fruit fly numbers have started to rise, and the initial success is now at serious risk because the Allan Labor government plans to end all funding for the program by June this year. Fruit fly expert and specialist Andrew Jessup has warned that if the program ends fruit fly numbers are expected to increase by 200 per cent in the best-case scenario and over 600 per cent in the worst-case scenario. Growers invest significantly in managing fruit fly risk on orchards, but the real threat is from backyard fruit trees that will go unmanaged and unmonitored without this program. Horticulture in the Goulburn Murray Valley region generates over $1.6 billion in gross regional product, and all the industry is asking for is an ongoing commitment of $1 million annually from the government to protect our region from Queensland fruit fly.