Queensland fruit fly credit NSW Department of Primary Industries

Queensland Fruit Fly (Photo - NSW Department of Primary Industries)

New Zealand’s latest bid to maintain its fruit-fly free status has cost taxpayers almost NZ$1m (US$850,000), according to media reports.

Newstalk ZB has reported the country’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent NZ$916,446 (US$782,534) in a response operation following the discovery of a singular male Queensland fruit fly (Q-fly) in Whangarei during January.

Over NZ$700,000 (US$597,715) was spent on service contracts, while NZ$67,162 (US$57,348) was spent on publicity and NZ$33,000 (US$28,178) on staff travel.

At the conclusion of the two-week campaign MPI announced the discovery was an isolated incident, with no breeding population of Q-fly, much to the relief of New Zealand’s NZ$4bn (US$3.4bn) horticultural industry who feared exports links would be cut with some international markets.

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