Citrus canker surveillance teams hit the ground
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will have surveillance teams on the ground in the Kimberley and Pilbara over the next few weeks as part of its ongoing response to confirm that citrus canker is absent in northern WA.
The teams will be visiting the towns of Kununurra, Wyndham, Broome, Derby, Halls Creek, Karratha, Roebourne, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Fitzroy Crossing, Exmouth and Point Samson.
The surveillance work follows the successful removal of all citrus plants around the three properties confirmed to have citrus canker in Wyndham and Kununurra in August 2018.
Previously, the department’s focus was on tracing citrus plants known to have come into WA from the Northern Territory since January 2017.
It is now asking anyone in the north who has a citrus plant, regardless of its age or condition, to contact the department so it can be recorded and inspected if necessary.
The more citrus plants that are located and inspected, the more evidence the department will have that citrus canker is absent in northern WA.
Inspectors will not remove any plants from properties, but they make take samples for further testing.
The surveillance teams will be focussing their efforts on caravan parks, new housing development areas, community gardens, nurseries, garden centres and landscape businesses, but reports supporting the absence of citrus canker from all areas are valuable, and the department encourages everyone to make reports using the free MyPestGuideTM Reporter app.
Residents can also report plants to the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service on (08) 9368 3080 or email PaDIS . More information on citrus canker and response measures is available at the department website.
There have been no additional detections of citrus canker in WA, since the initial three cases in May 2018.