Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has reported a national Transition to Management (T2M) response plan for Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB) is now in place and being delivered by DPIRD, but said the borer is ‘no longer technically feasible to eradicate’.
The T2M phase of the response includes development and implementation of strategies to slow the spread of Polyphagous shot-hole borer through targeted surveillance, the creation of an Integrated Pest Management Program and provision of support and training for landowners to build capacity for long term management of the pest.
Under the national T2M response plan, DPIRD’s tree pruning and removal program will focus on trees in the outer Perth metropolitan area that pose a risk of spreading the borer outside of the Quarantine Area (QA). All other landowners and managers in the Perth metropolitan area are now responsible for managing borer-affected trees.
A new Quarantine Area Notice (QAN), to support the T2M phase of the response, has come into effect. The QAN covers the entire Perth metropolitan area. Movement restrictions on Firewood, green waste, live plants and plant material still apply to help prevent the spread of PSHB.
Learn more at dpird.wa.gov.au.