THE Goulburn Murray Valley (GMV) Fruit Fly Program Governance Group is working closely with the Victorian Government and local councils to strengthen efforts to manage Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) across the region and to protect one of Australia’s most important horticultural areas.
Chair of the Governance Group, Tony Siciliano, said the focus is on ensuring all land managers, state and local, play a role in reducing fruit fly pressure across the GMV.
“The GMV is one of the most significant horticultural regions in the country, and it is also one of the most vulnerable to fruit fly,” Mr Siciliano said.
“Protecting this region requires a coordinated, area-wide approach, and that means taking responsibility across all land types, including public land managed by both the Victorian Government and local councils.”
The Governance Group is currently engaging with the State Government regarding the management of fruit fly-prone vegetation on state-owned land, while also working collaboratively with councils across the GMV to better understand and address host trees and plants on roadsides, parks and other publicly managed areas.
Both the Victorian Government and GMV councils have been requested by the Governance Group to undertake audits of fruit fly-prone trees on land under their management.
“This is about both state and local government taking responsibility for managing fruit fly risk in their own backyard,” Mr Siciliano said.
“If public land is not actively managed, it continues to drive reinfestation of QFF across orchards, backyards and communities, undermining the significant investment growers have made in suppressing outcomes.”
Mr Siciliano said that recent independent analysis has reinforced the importance of this approach, highlighting the GMV as one of Australia’s highest-risk fruit fly regions and confirming that unmanaged host vegetation remains as a key driver of ongoing pressure.
“This is not about placing responsibility on any one group. It is about recognising that effective fruit fly management requires a shared and coordinated effort,” he said.
Greater Shepparton City Council has agreed to undertake an audit in the 2026/27 financial year, and the Governance Group is currently working with Moira, Strathbogie and Campaspe Shire Councils, along with the Victorian Government, to bring them onboard as part of a coordinated regional approach, Mr Siciliano said.
“We are seeing willingness from both state and local government to engage on this issue, and we are committed to working together to develop practical, achievable solutions.”
The Governance Group will continue working with its partners to identify opportunities for collaboration, improve consistency across the region, and ensure long-term protection of the GMV’s horticultural industry.
