DPI may spray poison on our property...help!

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by baringapark, Jan 13, 2006.

  1. baringapark

    baringapark Junior Member

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    Hi all

    We have just received notification that the fruit fly eradication team will be baiting fruit fly in our area. I think this means spraying poison on my organically grown, pesticide-free fruit, but am not sure as I have yet to talk to an officer who knows.

    What are my rights? It seems they can come here even if no-one is home and simply leave a nice note to say they have been there and sprayed that. I am not happy as we have chemical sensitivites. We also would maybe like to one day become certified organic.

    Frosty and others any advice???

    thanks

    Elizabeth
     
  2. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    Not sure of the legalities but would think they cant spray against your wishes....what if you were working toward certification??. Suggest you ring the council and talk to their ag officer. Also try organic certification board in your state.
    Let us know how things go
    Cheers
    Cathy
     
  3. frosty

    frosty Junior Member

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    Hi Elizabeth

    this sort of thing makes me SO angry

    but to be honest I dont know if there is much you can do as a householder........ we keep thinking of becoming certified organic in something anything to protect us from this type of bullying because it does seem govt only cares about money

    but that is no help now :cry:

    I suggest contact your local member of state parliament and your state agricultural minister ( here the ag dept are "god" but hopefully victoria is more enlightened )

    try contacting this group they are based in vic and may have more idea of your rights than me
    https://home.vicnet.net.au/~aessra/


    as a last resort try threatening to sue if you get sick (who knows if it will help but since these bullies consider money first it may )

    good luck

    frosty
     
  4. Jez

    Jez Junior Member

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    G'day Elizabeth,


    There might be no need for alarm if they are "baiting" fruit fly...it depends what exactly they mean by "baiting." They could be using that term to describe traps which wouldn't involve spraying (those properties where the trap is untouched may escape spraying so they can focus resources to the problem areas), or they could be using an organic fruit fly bait such as Naturalure.


    In any case, there should be an avenue you can take to avoid this happening...a personal visit to the council and an offer to bait your own trees organically might do the trick...but I'm sure if they are made aware of your sensitivity they would try and work out a solution which is best for everyone.

    Good luck - I hope everything works out.
     
  5. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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  6. spritegal

    spritegal Junior Member

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    If you live in Victoria, the DPI can declare an area quarantined, which may include your property.

    Control measures also include cover sprays and bait sprays. Cover sprays are generally systemic insecticides that will also kill immature stages present in fruit. Cover sprays are beneficial for controlling Mediterranean fruit fly in an outbreak situation. Bait sprays which are comprised of a mixture of protein, water and an insecticide can be 'spot' sprayed into various sites in an orchard. If the outbreak is in a town area every property within the quarantine zone is sprayed with bait to control the population of adult flies.
    (from DPI website)

    If you are working towards organic certification, give them a ring, and see if you can propose to them 'alternate" baiting on your property at the same time as their proposed program with pesticide free baits. These may comprise hormones, or alternately one of the many natural baits such as sugar or yeast. Here is a good one made out of vegemite!!

    https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s727059.htm

    My experience with the DPI/RLPB (in NSW) is that they are very approachable to alternate methods of pest control, as long as you are seen to be doing SOMETHING. The reason why they issue blanket quarantine declarations is to catch those people who are irresponsible and do not manage their land (or absentee landlords of 100 year old, diseased orchards). Have a talk to them.....let us know how you get on!

    spritegal
     
  7. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

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    I have no idea, but I cannot imagine that they spray without asking. They need to enter in your property, and this is not possible witout asking the owner. If you are selling your fruit, you can say that you are loosing q lot of money because sprayed fruit cannot be sold as organic.
    I am quite astonished how a liberal government involes in private property!
    I think the first thing is to find really out what the fact is, second trying to talk and to convince and if everything does not work contacting the local newspaper they are often short in interesting stories. I think it is usefull as well finding out which sort of poison they spray to know something about the toxidity (and telling it a journalist maybe).
     
  8. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Here in the U.S., they do aerial spraying. Some of the stuff is pretty caustic, I guess, cause it will ruin the paint job on your new car.

    Sue
     
  9. dryland dweller

    dryland dweller Junior Member

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    Sorry Hedwig but the DPI can do this without permission to protect the fruit industry from the mediteranian fruit fl. It happens in Vic SA and lower NSW they have what is called a fruitfly exclusion zone and travellers also have to dump all fresh fruit bought outside the area if travelling through.
    WA has even worse restrictions on entering the state.
    look at the action Qld DPI took with the citrus growers in the Emerald area

    Most inspectors are human so give them a call and see if there are alternatives especially as there are chemical sensitivities involved. At least we can grow tomatoes etc without fruitfly destroying them.
    Pete
     
  10. heuristics

    heuristics Junior Member

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    Elizabeth,
    Can I also suggest approaching your local newspaper if necessary – especially with the angle that the spraying will adversly affect your potential livelihood as an organic farmer.
    If no joy with local paper, maybe try a more “green” publication.
    Bureaucrats don't like publicity.
    I have also heard there is something called “chemical trespass” where farmers are supposed to keep their spray on their own properties, but I think this is mostly ignored, if indeed it exists.
     
  11. baringapark

    baringapark Junior Member

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    Thankyou all for your replies and interest in this debacle. I finally made contact with a field officer who knew what the story was (saw a mobile number in an advertisement for baiters required for fruit fly control in the local paper!!!). The 1800 number given on the notice only provided a message service and they never returned my calls.

    1. I should never have received the notice in the first place as we are not in the eradication area.
    2. If I was in the eradication area I am able to go on the database as an ACCESS DENIED property. As such there would be no intrusion into my property.


    I hope this little episode of beaurocratic bungling can be of use to one of you at some time.

    Elizabeth
     
  12. heuristics

    heuristics Junior Member

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    dpi may spray

    Phew. That's a relief.
    Is there some way you can get listed as “access denied” even if you are not officially in the eradication area?. If they stuff up and spray – it's something that cant easily be undone.
     

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