Biosecurity NZ lifts Queensland fruit fly controls in North Shore

Controls of fruit and vegetables on Auckland's North Shore to protect against Queensland fruit flies have been lifted.

A month has passed since a fly was last found in the suburb of Northcote, and two months since the first fly was caught.

The decision to end the controls follows weeks of intensive trapping and inspections of hundreds of kilograms of fruit and vegetables.

Biosecurity teams removed fallen fruit from backyards, inspected compost bins, and placed bait on fruit trees to attract and kill fruit flies, which pose a major threat to horticulture.

But no flies have been found since mid-March and the head of Biosecurity New Zealand, Roger Smith, says he's confident there are no breeding populations in Northcote.