Sterile insect technology facility expansion begins

Construction has begun on the expansion of the Port Augusta Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) facility which will double the production of sterile Queensland fruit flies to 40 million flies per week.

Funded under the $30 million Australian Government National Building Resilience to Manage Fruit Fly package, by PIRSA and by Citrus SA, the $3 million expansion will be completed by August 2023 with flies ready for release over Riverland outbreak areas this spring.

Construction will have minimal impact on ongoing production of sterile Queensland fruit flies with the expansion occurring next to the existing building using pre-fabricated materials. The two buildings will be joined at the final stage of construction. The expansion will include separate rooms for each stage of the fruit fly life cycle with different temperature and humidity controls for each room to optimise breeding requirements.

Sterile flies produced at the facility may also be used to help fight fruit fly outbreaks that occur in other jurisdictions.

Previously Queensland fruit fly management has relied heavily on insecticides and the expansion of SIT production offers a long-term more sustainable management solution to controlling Queensland fruit fly nationally.