14 hours ago
Eradication of destructive shot-hole borer from WA not possible, response moves to management
The multi-million dollar fight to eradicate the invasive shot-hole borer beetle from infecting and destroying more trees in Western Australia is being lost, the state government has conceded,
The pest was first detected in WA in 2021 and brandished a major biosecurity threat, sparking the biggest biosecurity response in WA's history to stop it spreading into agricultural areas and to east-coast of Australia.
Thousands of trees in Perth have been infected and destroyed, with some of the city's most iconic trees at Kings Park and Hyde Park chopped down and mulched.
Polyphagous shot-hole borer is a small beetle that tunnels into the trunks, stems and branches of trees and plants.
The tiny pest reproduces quickly and there is no proven treatment other than tree removal
The shot-hole borer has not yet been found in Australia outside the Perth metropolitan area.
In other countries, such as the US and South Africa, the pest has damaged tree crops including avocados and nuts.
Agricultural Minister Jackie Jarvis said it was no longer technically feasible to eradicate shot-hole borer from WA, and instead the focus will shift to managing it.
Another $26.5 million has been allocated to slow the beetle's spread, limit the impact on healthy trees and to protect the horticulture industry.
While the government is hoping to limit the spread of the pest beyond the Perth metropolitan area, the shift in focus acknowledges the possibility the borer could eventually spread across the rest of the nation.
About 4,800 trees in Perth have been infected.
