The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is calling on
communities across Perth to help stop the spread of the destructive beetle Polyphagous
shot-hole borer (PSHB).
PSHB was first detected in August 2021 and has now been confirmed in more than 80
suburbs across the metropolitan area in backyards, street verges, public open spaces,
parks and reserves. A Quarantine Area is in place for most of the metropolitan area.
One of the impacted sites is Kings Park and DPIRD is currently working with Botanic
Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) on the removal of PSHB infested Moreton Bay and
Port Jackson fig trees from Mounts Bay Gardens (Goonininup) scheduled for early 2024.
The removal of these infested trees is vital to protect trees in the Western Australian
Botanic Garden and the many rare and endangered flora in its collection.
Over the next month, a digital campaign will be rolled out at Yagan Square to raise
awareness of the pest and encourage people to ‘look and report’.
A video animation will be screened on the Yagan Square tower and highlight DPIRD’s
ongoing works to inspect, prune and remove infested trees to save Perth’s healthy trees.
To date, more than one million trees have been inspected on over 59,000 properties,
making it the biggest surveillance program ever undertaken by DPIRD.
The animation can be downloaded from the updated PSHB Comms Portal, and the accompanying media release is attached.
Local Governments are asked to share the animation on their communication channels (website, social media) to strengthen the impact of the message.
To download the assets, click here.
