Overview

• The polyphagous shot-hole borer has killed about 4,500 trees in Perth since 2021 and experts warn it could devastate Sydney’s Moreton Bay and Port Jackson figs and plane trees if it arrives.
• The beetle carries Fusarium ambrosium fungus into tree vascular systems, blocking xylem and phloem and causing progressive canopy dieback that often requires felling infected specimens.
• After confirming eradication was unachievable in June, Western Australia inspected 2.6 million trees, removed thousands, and committed AU$26.5 million to containment projects and university-led research.
• New South Wales authorities have installed pheromone-baited traps in the Royal Botanic Gardens and are coordinating statewide monitoring with the Department of Primary Industries.
• Experts are urging residents to spot and report symptoms—tiny exit holes, white powdery frass tubes, lesions or wilting branches—to the DPI biosecurity hotline for early intervention.