Controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe have been lifted after no further evidence of the Oriental fruit fly was found in the area.
The decision to end the operation followed more than a month of intensive fruit fly trapping and inspections of hundreds of kilograms of fruit.
Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north, thanked residents and businesses in the affected area for their support with the movement controls, for watching for fruit flies, and for safely disposing of fruit in provided bins.
"I can't stress enough how vital this work has been to protect our horticultural sector. This particular insect pest is a significant threat to horticultural exports and home gardens,” said Inglis.
Biosecurity New Zealand quickly placed legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in an area of Papatoetoe on the 4th of January 2025 after a single male Oriental fruit fly was identified from a national surveillance trap.
"No further adult fruit flies, eggs, larvae or pupae have been found. We are satisfied that with no further detections over six weeks, the Controlled Area Notice restrictions can be lifted, and response operations closed.”
The Biosecurity New Zealand signs and wheelie bins will be removed from the affected area in Papatoetoe over the next few days. Inglis added that checking Biosecurity New Zealand’s 7,800 fruit fly traps around the country, including some 200 traps in the Papatoetoe/Māngere area, will continue as normal.
"Our people will be out in the Papatoetoe community today, handing out flyers about the response closure and personally thanking residents and business owners for their contribution to the effort.”
He also acknowledged the good work of the community and the partners in the horticulture sector. The situation has been managed well by working together and responding quickly.
Throughout the response, around 1,500 individual visits were made to check the 109 special fruit fly response traps in Papatoetoe/Māngere. These traps were in addition to the area's 187 routine fruit fly surveillance traps.
More than 600 biosecurity bins were distributed in the community to collect produce waste for safe disposal, 470 kilos of fruit were cut up and examined for any signs of fruit fly eggs or larvae and over 150 Biosecurity New Zealand staff were involved throughout the response.
