Major milestone reached in battle to curb locust threat

Broadscale aerial spraying operations are smashing locusts across the Flinders, Mid North and pastoral regions, as a major milestone is reached in the fight to protect this season’s likely record harvest.

Since last month, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and Australian Plague Locust Commission have deployed broadscale aerial spray operations across more than 100,000 hectares – a bigger area than Singapore and almost as big as Hong Kong.

The scale of this operation highlights the major efforts being made by authorities to control locust populations and protect the South Australian agriculture sector and landscape, as a likely record harvest gets underway across the state.

Alongside the Malinauskas Government’s $4.6 million Chemical Rebate Scheme, which supports landholders to undertake locust control on their properties, control efforts are making a positive impact.

Government-led aerial spraying has been tailored to local conditions, land use, locust numbers and risk of unintended consequences. A key focus has been early intervention – treating locust hopper bands before they develop into flying swarms helps reduce the risk to crops, pastures and livestock feed.

This approach has ensured locust treatments remain effective while meeting safety, environmental and operational requirements – including avoiding sensitive sites, managing chemical residue risks, considering if there are nearby apiaries and obtaining landholder permissions.

Follow-up inspections and landholders’ feedback are demonstrating the program has been highly effective in significantly reducing locust activity in treated areas, including north of Port Augusta, east of Hawker and around Yunta.

This progress builds on the Malinauskas Government’s updated Chemical Rebate Scheme, which gives farmers greater flexibility when managing locust infestations on their properties.

Eligible producers can now submit up to two applications over the life of the scheme, allowing those who need to spray multiple infestations during a season to access reimbursement on chemical costs sooner.

The $4.6 million Chemical Rebate Scheme helps producers manage the cost of locust control chemicals, providing rebates of up to $35 per hectare for eligible applicants.

Applications for the scheme are open until 14 February 2027.

Report any locust activity to the Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

For more information, visit locust plague.