To plant bananas in Queensland and NSW a license is needed and backyard green thumbs have been warned about this.

It has been stated that the Banana Bunchy Top disease can be avoided by helping out a friend or neighbor by giving them a banana sucker or planting material from banana plants.

In southeast Queensland and far north coast of NSW, the attempt to fight the disease is on and the Australian Banana Growers Council, ABGC, has stated this. These are the only areas where the disease is existing.

ABCG disease co-coordinator David Peasley said, "The primary objective is to prevent the spread of this disease to the major production area in far north Queensland where the disease does not exist."

Through the Queensland Department of Employment, the Department of Industry and Investment in NSW and the Economic Development and Innovation, the banana permits are free of charge and can be obtained easily.

Peasley added that from approved suppliers which have been inspected to ensure that they are disease free or from tissue culture nurseries, banana suckers must be obtained.

He said, "We know it is in backyard gardens and if people unknowingly give away plants with the disease we will never stop its spread."

The main aim is to remove the disease completely and this can not be done without help from the community.