Transporting produce during an outbreak
If you're a transporter carrying restricted fruit and vegetables, there are rules you need to follow to minimise the risks of fruit fly.
Check the outbreak map to find out if your routes include:
- moving from a red outbreak area, known as a corrective action zone (CAZ)
- moving from a yellow suspension area, known as an export assurance zone (EAZ)
- impacted depots.
The wine grape industry has further specific requirements for transport.
Movement certification
Movement certificates must accompany all consignments containing restricted fruit and vegetables from a fruit fly affected area (controlled movement zone). These detail:
- the conditions the consignor must meet, such as treatments for the produce
- where the fruit can be consigned to
- specific transport routes that the transporters may need to take.
The consignor must apply for and make sure they meet all requirements in the movement certificate from PIRSA.
As the transporter moving host fruit and vegetables from the controlled movement zone, you must:
- Carry an approved movement certificate from PIRSA.
- Carry certificates to show that treatments have been applied, if required.
- Meet any obligations to travel on specified transport routes.
Meeting secure conditions
For sending into non-sensitive markets, a business may request that the vehicle transporting the restricted fruit and vegetables is audited to meet secure condition requirements.
Transporters can apply for their trailers to be inspected and certified as meeting secure conditions.
Even when a transporter has been certified, the consignor must still apply for a movement certificate. Secondary inspections of the transport vehicles aren't required in this case.
Offloading, reloading, and multiple pickups
The movement certificate issued to the consignor may require the transporter to take a specific route or not stop before entering or exiting a defined area.
If you're collecting restricted fruit and vegetables from the controlled movement zone, you must follow these directions. This may mean you're unable to collect additional consignments, or offload and reload at your depot, before reaching the consignor's destination.