During Exercise Decini, the national organisation placed fruit flies in commonly used Lynfield traps in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and NSW.

Testing was conducted on behalf of the federal government in 2017, before Tasmania’s first fruit fly incursion in January.

The exercise was confidential, with relevant state ministers briefed afterwards.

A federal Agriculture and Water Resources department spokesperson confirmed the “simulation exercise to test capabilities to an exotic fruit fly incursion” was conducted in August and September.

“This is a normal exercise to ensure Australia’s preparedness for exotic fruit flies, and was not linked to the Queensland fruit fly outbreak in Tasmania,” the spokesperson said.

“It was used to assess the proficiency of detection, identification and reporting for Australia’s exotic fruit fly detection system.

“This is part of a range of activities to maintain the strength and effectiveness of fruit fly surveillance, and ensure Australia is protected from the risk of exotic fruit flies which would significantly impact on horticultural industries.”

The department granted Plant Health Australia $600,000 to conduct the exercise.

Biosecurity Tasmania chief executive Dr Lloyd Klump said “there were a number of findings from that exercise demonstrating some improvements could be made to those traps”.

Trap placement has been reviewed since and Biosecurity Tasmania is working with Plant Health Australia on trap design and other technologies used in fruit fly trapping.

“One of the findings of that was that there was some wind-stripping of one or two traps, and that that wind-stripping was a result of the design of the traps. It did also show that our diagnostics worked,” Dr Klump said.

Labor Primary Industries spokesman Dr Shane Broad said the testing uncovered weaknesses in Tasmania’s biosecurity practice.

“It appears that serious failings in Tasmania’s fruit fly defences were exposed just months before the state’s first major outbreak of the pest,” Dr Broad said.

Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney said fruit fly procedures were continually tested and improved.

“...our understanding of pests and diseases evolves, practices evolve and we will continue to make sure that we are on a pathway of continuous improvement,” Ms Courtney said.

“Learnings from this became part of information provided to me ... which inform the department's understanding of fruit fly and its practices,” she said.