Fire ants on march: why the spread of the invasive pest to another Australian state could ruin your weekend BBQ
Venomous fire ants have crossed Queensland’s border into NSW for the first time, prompting a biosecurity response.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed on Saturday that three red imported fire ant nests have been found in South Murwillumbah, 13km from the Queensland border in the state’s north-east.
“This is the first detection of fire ants in northern NSW and is believed to be the southernmost report of fire ants infestation in Queensland,” the department said in a statement.
Crews are on site chemically eradicating the pest within 200 meters of the nests.
An emergency biosecurity control order requires all businesses and residents within a 5km radius of the South Murwillumbah site to restrict the movement of mulch, wood chips, compost, sand, gravel, soil, hay and other baled products.
Fire ants, which deliver an incredibly painful sting, have spread from Queensland to NSW
Invasive Species Council conservation officer Reece Pianta said the $592 million allocated to eradicate the ants by 2027 would not be enough.
“Fire ants are one of the world’s worst superpests and if they are allowed to spread across the continent their impact will be greater than that of cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined,” he said.
“They will devastate Australia’s environment and agriculture, cost our economy billions annually and we could expect more than 140,000 additional medical visits each year.”
Mr Pianta said the spread to NSW should be a wake-up call to the Victorian, Western Australian and South Australian governments that have not yet committed to their share of eradication funding.
Officers and sniffer dogs from the NSW Department of Primary Industries were working to determine the extent and origin of the contamination.
Fines for violations of the biosafety order can reach $1.1 million for an individual and up to $2.2 million for a company.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the Queensland and NSW governments were working to eradicate detection and monitor surrounding areas.
“This is the first detection of fire ants in northern NSW, but not the first detection outside south-east Queensland, with isolated detections previously eradicated in Gladstone, Botany Harbor and Fremantle Harbour,” he said in a statement .
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the nests would be eradicated in NSW as part of an emergency biosecurity procedure
The NSW Farmers Association said the latest raid posed a threat to agricultural production and called on authorities to act quickly to stop the spread.
“The ants can damage agricultural implements, sting livestock and damage the natural environment,” the association said.
NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the government was prepared for the discovery of fire ants in northern NSW and had immediately implemented the response plan, part of a nearly $600 million national eradication program.
She said the government has committed $95 million to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said it was a case of too little, too late.
“What we have seen so far from the state and federal governments is a complete lack of urgency, and the detection of these ants in NSW is necessary to trigger an eradication response,” he said.
A recent review of the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program warned all hope would be “forever lost” if the ant crossed the Queensland border into NSW.