Gold Coast cane farmer Larry Spann has found fire ant nests on his property. Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
Critics have blasted the Federal Government for “failing to grasp the urgency” of tackling potentially devastating invasive fire ant incursions.
Biosecurity advocates have flamed the Albanese Government for failing to take seriously a super pest that threatens to devastate Australia’s native wildlife.
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The government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry into imported fire ants missed the point of the committee’s findings, the Invasive Species Council said.
“The evidence at the senate inquiry was clear that the current level of resourcing is not sufficient to eradicate this super pest,” the group’s advocacy manager Reece Pianta said.
Authorities have been battling to stamp out the highly aggressive, swarming fire ants for more than two decades.
But in recent years their spread has intensified, with nests increasingly being found outside containment zones in south-east Queensland, including across the border in NSW.
If their march across the country goes unchecked, the exotic insects could cost Australia more than $2 billion a year, devastate native wildlife and cause six deaths annually, a recent report by the Australia Institute found.
Reece said the inquiry posed an opportunity for the government to ensure fire ant eradication was on track by launching an urgent review of funding and resourcing, but instead it hit the pause button, with a review not planned until late 2025.
“This is extremely disappointing,” he said.
“Fire ants already threaten koala sanctuary areas in Queensland and the Threatened Species Commissioner has warned iconic echidna, platypus and turtle populations could decline from fire ant infestations.”
Fire ants could cost Australia more than $2 billion a year if left unchecked. Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
The government also refused the inquiry’s recommendations to strengthen the fire ant suppression taskforce, instead saying it was a Queensland Government initiative and managed separately to the containment and eradication program.
“This shows they’ve failed to grasp the urgency of scaling up suppression work,” Reece said.
“Right now, numbers are skyrocketing due to a lack of personnel, bait and equipment for suppression.
“This is not a serious response to a serious problem.”
Federal, state and territory governments have committed $1.28 billion by 2027 to tackle the ant menace.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan chaired the inquiry and said the government supported the majority of the report’s recommendations, showing a commitment from all sides of politics to get fire ants under control.
“As a result of the increased focus on the issue during the inquiry, the government significantly expanded funding to the eradication efforts of red imported fire ants and this will hopefully see benefits in helping contain the risk posed,” he said.
Fire ants are seen in a nest on a cane farm in Norwell, on the Gold Coast, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AAP Image/Jono Searle) NO ARCHIVING
FIRE ANT FACTS
A recent report released by the Australia Institute estimates that, if fire ants are allowed to spread, every year they could cause six deaths, trigger 116,000 medical visits.
Households could be hit with an annual bill of $188 million if they are not eradicated.
Fire ants can be lethal to humans, are expected to have a $2 billion per year impact on Australia’s economy if they get out of control, will devastate wildlife, cut agricultural output by up to 40 per cent and may cause more than 100,000 extra medical appointments each year.
A study of fire ants’ likely impact on 123 species in south-east Queensland predicted population declines of about 45 per cent of birds, 38 per cent of mammals, 69 per cent of reptiles and 95 per cent of frogs.
Fire ants can form rafts during flood events, stowaway in freight or soil or spread by queen ant flights of about 5km.
Fire ants have been successfully eradicated in Sydney, Fremantle and Gladston and contained to south-east Queensland. Outbreaks in NSW, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast prove that eradication is the only permanent solution.
A comprehensive government study from 2021 found that between $200 million and $300 million annually would be required over the next 10 years or Australia would face at least a $2 billion cost per year from fire ants forever.
Despite this, only $133 million was provided for fire ant eradication last financial year.
Fire ant eradication is being led by the Queensland Government but is funded by all Australian governments because fire ants are a threat to the whole country.
Fire ants came into Australia in the late 1990s in freight from the United States and they were found in 2001. Fire ants are originally from South America.
Fire ants have spread across most of the southern United States and are spreading in China at a rate of about 80km per year.
Almost all of Australia is climatically suitable for fire ants.
