South Perth Liberal candidate Bronwyn Waugh launches petition in bid to eradicate polyphagous shot-hole borer

A Liberal candidate for South Perth has joined her party’s criticism of the Labor State Government’s approach to the spread of the devastating polyphagous shot-hole borer. Bronwyn Waugh launched a petition last week in a bid to stop the spread of the pest after slamming the Government’s response to Perth’s growing outbreak as an “abject failure”. Ms Waugh — who is also the City of South Perth deputy mayor and an environmental, planning and local government lawyer — launched the petition on August 22, requesting the Government reverse its “negative and bureaucratic approach” and collaborate with community groups and arborists to eradicate the pest. The petition also urges the Government to take “immediate and decisive action” by increasing its response time, public awareness and research efforts. “The lengthy response times to address trees infected by the PSHB is unacceptable as this results in further spread,” the petition reads. “The expanding range of the PSHB poses a threat to our urban tree cover, parks and residential trees ... the massive economic cost of the borer in crops such as avocados and mangoes in other countries mean this should be treated with urgency.” WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam last month said the State Government had failed to effectively ensure that the epidemic was eradicated. At the time, Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis rebutted criticism of the Government’s response time and pointed to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development raising awareness of the pest in September 2021. PSHB has been confirmed in more than 6000 Perth trees in a quarantine zone of almost 200 suburbs — including Hyde Park and Kings Park — since it was first detected in August 2021. The invasive pest burrows into trees and infects them with a fungus that slowly kills them from the inside, with the removal of infected trees the only way to control the spread. The pest has most recently been detected in Bedfordale, resulting in the removal of two coral trees. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said 86 trees had been removed in August alone. “Exact numbers change regularly as containment and eradication activities continue,” the spokesperson told PerthNow. “To date more than 3000 trees have been removed from across the metropolitan area to curb the spread of the pest. “In addition, more than 850 trees have been pruned.” But Ms Waugh described the State Government’s attempts at containing and eradicating the pest as an “abject failure”. “Investment into research how PSHB responds to Australian conditions and what is able to be done to treat PSHB in Australian conditions is desperately lacking,” she said. “Enough is enough; this is a crisis that has escaped control and requires everyone’s effort to stop it from getting it into our fruit-growing region. “We need to desperately fund research to slow down or stop the beetle killing more trees and spreading through our agricultural region.” The DPIRD spokesperson said “every effort was being made” to contain the spread through surveillance, trapping and tree management and quarantine restrictions. “DPIRD is working with residents, businesses, traditional owners, local governments and other organisations to keep them informed and help step the spread of PSHB,” the spokesperson said. “The department is continuing to develop new strategies and promotional materials including signage. “More than 3000 PSHB traps are out in the Perth metropolitan area, as well as in the State’s Mid West, Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern regions to monitor for signs of PSHB.” In June, the State Government announced it was investing almost $5 million to contain and eradicate the pest. The petition has since received almost 100 signatures.