The Program

The Program

An exotic plant disease, Grapevine Leaf Rust, was detected in urban Darwin and Palmerston in 2001. Follow-up surveys found no sign of the disease anywhere else in the Northern Territory or in other parts of Australia. Grapevine Leaf Rust has not previously been detected in Australia.

Grapevine leaf rust attacks the leaves of the plant, weakening the vine and reducing the yield of grapes produced. It is considered to be a threat to southern wine/grape production areas should it spread out of the immediate urban Darwin and Palmerston area.

The Darwin and Palmerston discoveries have resulted in the National Grapevine Leaf Rust Eradication Program (NGLREP) being set up. The program's charter is to (1) stop this disease from spreading to Central Australia's Ti-Tree tablegrape production area or to the major interstate wine and grape-growing areas where it could have a devastating impact and (2) eradicate Grapevine Leaf Rust from Australia. 

Funding for the program was provided by the Federal and State Governments, depending on the value of their respective grape/wine production industries.  Australia's winegrape, wine and tablegrape industries have also backed the program.

A dedicated Darwin-based team, attached to the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines (DPIFM), has coordinated and managed the eradication program.

• Extensive household and property surveys to locate and record every grapevine in the greater Darwin and Rural areas
• Removal of all diseased vines
• Monitoring of healthy vines in the quarantine area
• Ongoing identification of the location of any grapevines in the greater Darwin and Rural areas
• Monitoring of selected sentinel grapevines outside the quarantine area