Auckland’s fruit fly zone will remain in place until the end of the year.

That means residents and businesses inside the zone will have to continue to refrain from taking fruit and vegetables out of the suburbs inside the controlled area. 

The first Queensland fruit fly was found in Grey Lynn in mid-February. Since then, 14 adult fruit flies have been found.

MPI director of response, Veronica Herrera, says to make sure the population has gone, the controls need to stay in place until at least the end of November.

“We believe the population is under control at the moment, it’s isolated, but we need to continue to maintain certain activities to make sure that we actually have eradicated the population.”

Veronica Herrera says those inside the zone have been very compliant with the rules and need to continue to be.

“For us it’s critical, because if this programme is going to succeed it will have to do a lot with the cooperation of the community.”

The Countdown stores in the Auckland fruit fly zone are now MPI approved retailers – meaning residents who purchase fruit and veges there can take them outside the controlled area.

Countdown’s national trading manager, Ryan McMullen, says a Countdown staff member will bag and seal the products at the checkout so customers can take them from the zone.

Customers leaving the zone must keep their fruit and vegetables sealed until they have left the area.

– Newstalk ZB