The Minns Labor government will ramp up its surveillance and response efforts leading into summer to stop the spread of red fire ants into northern NSW from South East Queensland.
These invasive pests have the potential to spread during the summer as border traffic increases between Queensland and NSW.
Operation Five Valleys was launched in the Kyogle region this week to focus on the potential outbreak, a measure following the recent discoveries of fire ants in a cross-border turf delivery at Clunes and previous incursions at Wardell and Murwillumbah. This has prompted the NSW government to suspend turf imports from southeast Queensland.
The Operation will use specially trained detection dogs and human surveillance teams to monitor high-risk sites in Kyogle where carrier materials might be.
Led by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), the program has identified early detection areas near Cougal, Findon Creek, Lindesay Creek, Dairy Flat and Sawpit Creek.
Early detection key
NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty says that early detection efforts are essential in stamping out the spread of the invasive pest.
‘The Minns Labor government’s early detection surveillance program is part of our ongoing commitment to keep this highly invasive pest out of New South Wales,’ Moriarty said.
‘By focusing on high-risk areas and employing advanced tracking and modelling techniques, we’re taking strong preventative measures to stop fire ants from establishing here.
‘Fire ants won’t march or float into NSW, they will either be carried with materials such as soil, mulch, hay and turf, or fly in by natural spread from Qld, which is why we’re ramping up surveillance in these high-risk areas,’ Moriarty said.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program (NFAEP) works alongside the NSW DPIRD in preventative efforts.
‘This early interception demonstrates that our biosecurity system and its processes are working to protect our communities from fire ants,’ a spokesperson told The Echo.
‘While fire ants move slowly on their own, human activity accelerates their spread.’
Urgent action needed
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin calls for urgent action to eradicate the pest.
‘Red imported fire ants are an incredibly dangerous invasive pest – they are a threat to people, animals and the environment, and they must be eradicated as quickly as possible,’ Mr Martin said.
‘These insidious pests can damage agricultural equipment, sting livestock, ruin the natural environment, and pose a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of all people in NSW.
‘We simply cannot keep letting them slip through our borders.’
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