Travellers within South Australia have long been familiar with the ‘bring a receipt’ rule when travelling into the Riverland – previously if you could show appropriate proof of purchase for your fruit and veg you could take it in with you.
To further protect Riverland growers, new changes are now in effect meaning the ‘bring a receipt’ rule is no longer recognised.
With or without a receipt, you can’t take fruit or vegetables that are at risk from fruit fly into the Riverland.
Plan your trip
Avoid a fine – pack thoughtfully. Use the quarantine bins at entry points to the Riverland, or eat any fruit and vegetables that are a fruit fly risk before reaching the Riverland.
Even better, buy when you arrive! Local shops will still be selling a full range of fruit and veg, and you’ll be supporting local businesses as well as protecting our $1.3 billion horticulture industry vulnerable to fruit fly.
Fruit and vegetables commercially brought into the Riverland have had the right treatment applied so they can be brought in for sale in the Riverland Pest Free Area. Fruit and vegetables sold outside the Riverland may not have had the right treatment applied for this region, which is why you can no longer bring them into the Riverland.
Fruit fly outbreaks in SA mean there are additional restrictions on moving fruit and vegetables around, so make sure you find out what you can’t carry with you, and other information on SA quarantine, by visiting the fruit fly website or calling the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.
What you can’t bring
This change applies to the fruit and vegetables at risk from fruit fly.
Some examples of what you can’t bring include:
- Stone fruits such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries
- Citrus such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and cumquats
- Fruiting vegetables including tomatoes, capsicums, chillies, eggplant and tamarillo
- Pome fruits such as apples, pears and quinces
- Loquats, figs and feijoas
- Tropical fruits such as bananas, avocados and mangoes.
What you can bring
There is some produce you can bring into the Riverland, this is because it’s not at risk of being infested by fruit fly.
Some examples include:
- Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and kale
- Brassica crops like cauliflower, cabbages and broccoli
- Onions, carrots and potatoes
- Watermelons and pumpkins
- Canned, frozen or cooked fruit.
What happens if you are caught with fruit and vegetables
If you are caught with fruit and vegetables that are a fruit fly risk, your produce will be seized and you may be fined.
Downloadable resources
To help share this information, downloadable resources are available on the fruit fly website. These include a printable A4 poster, a social media tile, a website banner, and content for you to include in your own enews or website.
More information
Visit the fruit fly website or call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.