Decisive action against Giant Pine Scale

The Malinauskas Government and South Australian forest industries are cracking down on new detections of Giant Pine Scale at Hope Valley Reservoir and Highbury Aqueduct reserves.

As part of the Government and forest industries’ comprehensive spring surveillance program, a small number of non-native pine trees infected with Giant Pine Scale have been detected.

These new detections are in the eastern part of Hope Valley Reservoir Reserve and the western part of Highbury Aqueduct Reserve, close to areas where previous infestations were discovered and removed in recent years.

Giant Pine Scale (GPS) is a highly destructive pest that attacks pine trees by feeding on their sap, causing progressive decline and eventual tree death. Left unchecked, GPS threatens Adelaide’s urban pine canopy and the state’s valuable plantation forestry sector.

South Australia’s forest industries support thousands of jobs, supply the timber needed to build homes, produce the pallets for goods moving through our supply chains, and provides renewable products that contribute to a lower-carbon future.

Taking decisive action now is essential to protect both our urban green spaces and one of the state’s most important sustainable industries.

The State Government, in partnership with the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), has removed infected and at-risk trees since detections were made in 2023 and continues to undertake proactive surveillance across various sites in the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide.

Following the new detections at Hope Valley and Highbury, work is underway with the forest industry to remove infected and at-risk pine trees.

The Malinauskas Government will revegetate all impacted areas with native flora, ensuring their long-term recovery, improved biodiversity, and protection from future GPS infestations.

Since 2023, the Malinauskas Government has invested $8 million in GPS response activities and associated revegetation works.

A further $3 million has been committed to redevelop Elliston Reserve, in partnership with the City of Tea Tree Gully, following a previous GPS infestation in 2023. This exciting project will deliver extensive revegetation, a new regional play space and other recreational facilities.

South Australia’s Giant Pine Scale surveillance program is being undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) in partnership with ForestrySA, AFPA, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and SA Water.

Proactive surveillance will continue through spring and into 2027, monitoring at-risk parks, reserves and plantations for any signs of the pest.

For more information on GPS, visit giant pine-scale. Any suspected GPS sightings should be reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.