The Invasive Species Council has expressed serious concern following the detection of multiple new fire ant nests at Oakey, 29 km west of Toowoomba in Queensland.
The organisation says that the new find, which is at the tip of the Murray-Darling Basin catchment, west of the Great Dividing Range, makes a fire ant funding review by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urgent and essential.
‘This new detection outside the fire ant eradication zone and within the Murray-Darling Basin catchment should mean alarm bells are ringing loudly in the Prime Minister’s office.’ said Reece Pianta, Advocacy Manager for the Invasive Species Council.
‘The government must spare no expense in responding to this outbreak and the whole community should treat this very, very seriously. While we have full confidence in the National Eradication Program’s response to this outbreak, we are very worried that not enough money is being spent by governments on the fire ant invasion,’ he said.
‘In recent months we have had new fire ant detections in New South Wales, at Caboolture north of Brisbane and now west of the Great Dividing Range at Oakey. These are all taking vital resources away from the main eradication effort. It is now undeniable that there is not enough money to get the eradication job done.
‘Just yesterday the Australian Senate called for a rapid review of program funding after damning evidence from expert witnesses about limited funding, slow decision-making and unnecessary secrecy. There is no excuse for inaction. The Albanese government must conduct an urgent review of fire ant eradication funding,’ said Mr Pianta.
‘Eradication remains possible, but right now we are losing the war against fire ants.’
Oakey nests
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program has advised that a community member found and reported multiple nests on the Oakey property on 16 April 2024.
The nests have been destroyed using liquid insecticide and intensive surveillance activities are underway.
‘Everyone in southern Queensland and northern NSW should be out checking for fire ants, particularly if you have had any recent material delivered to your property like soil, turf or mulch,’ said Mr Pianta.
‘Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests and, if they are allowed to spread across the continent, their economic impact will be greater than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined.
‘They will devastate Australia’s environment and agriculture, cost our economy billions annually and we could see up to 650,000 extra medical visits every year as they sting Australians at the park or in the backyard.’
The 2021 National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program strategic review estimated that at least $200 to $300 million per year will be required for ongoing eradication efforts to achieve eradication by 2032.
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