In November 2014, MPI undertook an audit of Australia’s Department of Agriculture processes and procedures for managing the export of Mediterranean fruit fly and cucumber fruit fly host products from the Greater Sunraysia pest free area (PFA) to New Zealand.

The audit also included reviewing the operation of cold treatment protocols for the export of Queensland fruit fly (QFF) host products from Sunraysia. As the Greater Sunraysia district is not currently a PFA for QFF, QFF hosts must be effectively treated prior to export to NZ. MPI recognises Sunraysia as a PFA for Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) and cucumber fruit fly.

MPI’s audit did not identify any critical situations in the system that would affect the risk of importing commercially produced fruit fly host commodities from the Greater Sunraysia PFA but made a number of recommendations for quality improvement. The recommendations mostly concerned documentation, dissemination of information about the fruit fly code of practice, internal audit and peer review processes.

Audits are part of MPI’s review activities of fruit fly management programmes with Australia and other countries to ensure an appropriate level of biosecurity risk management is maintained.

Matt Dyck, KVH Biosecurity