Putting netting over your fruit trees and vegetable gardens can protect them from being eaten by birds and other wildlife before you have the chance to pick them. However, netting can also pose a threat to local wildlife.
We want to remind residents that the Victorian Government is introducing new regulations about the size of the mesh used in domestic netting. These regulations come into effect on 1 September 2021 to protect our local birds and other wildlife from injury and death.
It will be mandatory for any netting used to protect household fruit trees, vegetable gardens or other fruiting plants, to have a mesh size (at full stretch) of no greater than 5mm x 5mm.
Any household fruit netting that doesn't meet these new rules must be replaced before 1 September 2021.
When the time comes to get rid of your old netting, remember to place it in a strong biodegradable bag before putting it into landfill. This prevents it from becoming a risk before it is buried at the landfill site.
An alternative to netting is to put fruit bags over individual branches. This protects the fruit you can reach while leaving some available for our hungry urban wildlife to enjoy.
