Anew advertising campaign aimed at travellers is now on air, digital screens and in print to highlight the dangers of bringing fruit and vegetables into South Australia and particularly the Riverland.

The traveller campaign, ‘Your fruit can have devasting impacts’, launched last week in time for the October long weekend and school holidays, appearing across regional print media, radio, social media, and outdoor spaces such as noticeboards, roadhouse signage and flyer stands.

The campaign highlights how one piece of restricted fruit or vegetable is all it can take to set off an uncontrollable outbreak of fruit fly, which could have devastating impacts to the state’s fresh fruit and vegetables – homegrown and commercial.

Travellers are reminded they must eat or dispose of any restricted fruit and vegetables, using the quarantine bins provided at key entry points to SA and the Riverland Pest Free Area, or face a $414 fine.

This applies to travellers from interstate and travellers into the Riverland region from within SA.

Anyone caught travelling into the Riverland with restricted fruit and vegetables will be fined; these restrictions are ongoing and are not related to specific fruit fly outbreaks.

Bringing fresh produce into the Riverland with a receipt is no longer allowed, as the law changed on 29 July 2021.

For more information about fruit fly, visit fruitfly.sa.gov.au or call the Hotline on 1300 666 010.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven warned travellers to take care.

“Something as small and unassuming as a piece of restricted fruit or vegetable, could have devastating impacts in the fight against fruit fly. The message to travellers is to bin it, eat it, or face a $414 fine,” she said.

“When you pack up your family for a road trip to the Riverland, keep the restricted fruit and vegetables at home, and buy local to avoid being caught out at random roadblocks, or the Yamba Quarantine Station.

“Travellers can check the quarantine bin map on the fruit fly website, fruitfly.sa.gov.au, to find locations on their travel route to bin restricted fruit and vegetables before entering SA or the Riverland.

“Fruit fly outbreaks and fruit movement restrictions are in place across the Riverland, so it’s important to check the outbreak map to see if you’re travelling in these areas.”