Fire ants found in Wardell on Friday were destroyed on Saturday and are no longer a risk to the community living in the immediate area, according to the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.
The fire ants in Wardell were originally reported in by a member of the community to the NSW Biosecurity Hotline on Friday and confirmed as fire ants later that day.
The Ballina finding also comes just days after fire ants were spotted floating in floodwaters around the Gold Coast and warnings that fire ants could spread further south after being detected in Murwillumbah.
National Fire Ant Eradication Program
The NSW Department of Primary Industries team moved in with colleagues from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and Ballina Shire Council to destroy the fire ants, control the site, start tracing the source and survey the surrounding area.
Moriarty said to manage the risks of spread, a biosecurity control order has been put in place with immediate effect, restricting movement within the surrounding 5km area of the site in Wardell.
Department of Primary Industry teams will support the local businesses and community who will need to lock down movement of landscaping, gardening, and building materials plus machinery until inspected and checked.
Chemically eradicated the infestation
Experienced teams were on site on Saturday and chemically eradicated the infestation and treated a radius of 500 metres from the site.
Following detection of the fire ants the NSW Government instigated its action plan covering – eradication, control, tracing, and engagement of local businesses and community.
Moriarty said the teams were prepared for this discovery of fire ants and immediately implemented a response plan and destroyed the fire ant site.
‘Biosecurity is a shared responsibility and I encourage everyone to continue to check their properties for these pests. With the summer cross-border travel in peak times I ask everyone to be careful of what they’re moving and where.’
‘Labor has lost control’ – Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the latest infestation is another sign that Labor has lost control of eradicating the pest.
Mr Littleproud says many times last year he warned that Labor’s $268 million over four years in federal funding to eradicate fire ants risked not being enough.
He said the latest discovery should trigger an urgent review of fire ant eradication funding.
‘The whole country has been put at risk of fire ants because Labor was too slow to act,’ said Mr Littleproud.
No small issue
‘Ballina is one of the most popular tourism areas in the country – it’s no small issue that this slice of paradise risks having its tourism title destroyed by fire ants if Labor doesn’t get on top of this.’
‘The Invasive Species Council warned red imported fire ants were at risk of spreading beyond current containment zones and that parks, school playgrounds and beaches have been closing over summer due to fire ants.
‘The Commonwealth should have been showing leadership on this issue but continued to drag the chain. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is nowhere to be seen on this.
‘We do not want to see this area go from ‘beautiful one day, fire ant Ballina’ the next.’
Community kept informed
Tara Moriarty said the community will be kept informed of progress.
The team will continue activities with sniffer dogs and boots on the ground to determine the extent of any infestation, undertake genetic testing of the fire ants, as well as engaging and supporting the impacted local community and businesses.
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