Fruit fly Insoection point in SA/Vic border

jbrinks · Senior Member

Fruit fly Insoection point in SA/Vic border

aussie_paul · Guru

jbrinks wrote:
Travelled the road to Melbourne from Adelaide (via Bordertown ) many times and there is always just a sign and bin to deposit any fruit when coming into SA. Last week there was a big setup with tents etc a few k's after the sign with about 10 officers checking all vehicles. They looked like they had set up a fruit store from what they had collected off people who had done the wrong thing and I am sure the government coffers got a big boost that day. So be warned read the sign and do the right thing or it might cost you more than the fruit is worth.

Yes, noticed that when we went to SA last year around August.

Aussie Paul. smile

2foot6 · Veteran Member

The same thing traveling from Bendigo to Mildura, not to far from Mildura....cheers Peter.

-- Edited by 2foot6 on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 05:09:33 PM

Santa · Guru

Plan ahead and do the right thing, no problem.

Cant believe people who attempt to smuggle fruit across our borders simply to save a few dollars.

Fine em and hit em hard, perhaps they will think twice before playing the same stunt again. disbelief

jbrinks · Senior Member

I should have said we had no fruit but there were plenty that did

Two Strays · Senior Member

We went over to SAa few times and we always ensure not to take any contraband with us. Last Sept we were pulled over at a checkpoint about 10km inside the border.

The Police, SA Transport inspectors, Fruit/Veggie inspectors all together checking everyone. One van owner was in a bit of a pickle because he was "overweight" and had to leave his van there until he had a vehicle capable of towing his van. They would not let him drain his water tanks to lighten the load. The look on the navigators "misses's" face had that I TOLD YOU SO.

I guess most of the weight was her excess clothing in the cupboard.

The max fine for not handing in the contraband is $11000.

Cheers

03_Troopy · Guru

If you're going back the other way you can camp at the dropoff site for a while and stock up for your trip back

wendyv · Guru

There is a permanent check point at the border between Mildura and Renmark.

There are roaming mobile patrols in those areas within Vic and southern NSW that are declared quarantine zones. We have been pulled over a couple of times and had van and vehicle searched.

Pejay · Guru

Thanks for the info - we are heading that way in the next couple of weeks. We knew that there were quarantine check points and always comply, but we will be extra vigilant.

Santa · Guru

The quarantine people really are very reasonable, they always ask if you have fruit on board, to enable to surrender it without penalty.

Its when they are told nothing on board, then do a search and find concealed stuff that they start issuing fines, as they should.

Fastcoach · Senior Member

I totally get why there's a need to stop fruit fly infected produce from being transported into areas where the main industry is the production is fruit and vegetables. However, why is it OK, for example, to buy your fresh food supplies in say Horsham and then be forced to throw it all out just down the road at Bordertown. Or maybe you bought a nice box of fresh from the tree oranges in Mildura and had to throw them out in Renmark. Surely if the products were infected they wouldn't be on the shelves in the first place.

With a few well known exceptions, most inspection stations are rarely manned 24/7 based on our experience, so the amount of contraband confiscated is most likely just a drop in the ocean of what probably gets transported.

Either the relevant authorities need to get serious and properly man all inspection stations, as they do at the SA/WA border, or they should drop the charade of protecting the quarantined areas altogether.

By the way we prefer, as I'm sure many others do, to stock up on fruit and veg in major towns whenever possible due to the greater range, fresher produce and often better price offerings compared to most smaller towns. However, when we know that we'll be travelling into a quarantined area we do as required, just so we won't risk a fine.

jbrinks · Senior Member

Not sure how many places this applies to but if you are coming from Adelaide to Renmark where you go through a bin only , saying you need to deposit fruit here etc etc, if you have a receipt for the goods you are carrying from Woolworths or similar company that is evidently okay but not sure if this is common in many of the spots

Fastcoach · Senior Member

Having just gone to the www.murrayriver.com.au/fruit-fly-free-zone site, it says in part "◾You must not to take fruit or fruiting vegetables into the Riverland or South Australian areas of the Fruit Fly Quaratine Zone (including Loxton, Morgan, Waikerie and Renmark), unless they were purchased within South Australia and are accompanied by an itemised shop receipt Plant Health Certification (contact PIRSA for details). Produce with receipts cannot be carried across state borders."

gordon_adl · Senior Member

And there goes the theory that Gn's spend their money in small town country shops.

Fastcoach wrote:

By the way we prefer, as I'm sure many others do, to stock up on fruit and veg in major towns whenever possible due to the greater range, fresher produce and often better price offerings compared to most smaller towns.

Fastcoach · Senior Member

Simply because we prefer to shop for some of our needs in major towns, when practical, doesn't mean we don't support smaller town shops. So Gordon adl the "theory", or should I say FACT that GN's spend some of their money in small town shops, is still valid.
When we head off on a trip, regardless of where that takes us, we start with a full tank of fuel and a full pantry. I'm sure most fellow travellers do likewise. As supplies start to run down we shop for replacements when we need them. If that means we use a larger centre on occasion for items such as fruit and veg, then so what.

We regularly use small towns we are near to restock, especially those that are RV friendly. Local butchers, bakers, news agents and small supermarkets are just some of the stores we support. Then there's the local pub and service station that gain from our business. I would hate to think of how much money we have spent over the past decade and a half in small town shops. Without our support and the support of the many thousands of travellers like us, many of these same shops and businesses would have folded years ago.

To suggest that those of us who do a lot of travel in regional areas are not doing our bit to support the many small towns that we stay at or just pass through, is insulting.

pricey43 · Guru

They usually set up the check sites when there has been an outbreak or find of fruitfly in their control traps. A couple of years ago they found one female fruitfly in a trap in Mildura. There was then a 3 month program set up with varying treatment for all fruit growing around that area. Within a certain radius all fruit is stripped from trees. Further out all properties had to be inspected. Your loss of a few pieces of fruit or veg. is nothing compared to the loss these farmers are having to bare. My daughter is often called to work on the emergency teams that work on these problems, fruitfly, locusts. Currently giant pine scale in Melbourne.