Agricultural
25 October, 2023
Senate to shine spotlight on fire ant funding failures
Australians have been forced to deal with a range of imported pests such as cane toads, rabbits and prickly pear, to name a few, but experts believe the damage caused by an out of control spread of fire ants would be far greater.
With this frightening prediction in mind, the Invasive Species Council has welcomed a Federal Senate inquiry into Fire Ants.
The inquiry will assess the cost of a fire ant invasion of Australia and the impact of delays to federal and state funding on the eradication program in south-east Queensland.
“Fire ants are a super pest which will devastate Australia’s environment and agriculture if they are allowed to spread across the country,” Reece Pianta, Conservation Officer at the Invasive Species Council, said.
“They will cost our economy billions annually and we will see over 140,000 extra medical visits every year as they sting Australians at the park or in the backyard.
“It doesn’t matter if you are in Perth or Penrith, Bendigo or Byron Bay, the whole of Australia will be invaded if fire ants are not eradicated in south east Queensland.”
Residents on the Darling Downs will no doubt be aware that fire ants were discovered at Kleinton, just north of Toowoomba earlier this year meaning that the Downs is not immune to the threat posed by the pest.
The Darling Downs’ multi-billion dollar farming economy is at risk with fire ants affecting more than 50 crops as well as nurseries and turf farms.
“The good news is the evidence suggests they can still be eradicated with a significantly ramped-up program of baiting, surveillance and community engagement,” Mr Pianta said.
“The bad news is that delayed and inadequate government funding puts at risk the small window of opportunity we have left to stop their spread.
“Underfunding by the Albanese Government means there is currently no systematic eradication work occurring to stop the western spread into the Murray Darling basin and the northern spread towards the Sunshine Coast.
“This is a timely and essential Senate inquiry that will put the costs and impacts of fire ants on the record and review the proposed fire ant response options.
Mr Painta said for too long the public has had to rely on out-of-date reports and leaks from alarmed officials to understand what’s really going on with the fire ant eradication program.
“This is not good enough,” he said.
“Fire ants will not wait for the government to sort out its budget processes.
“Delay will mean failure and Australia can’t afford to fail.”
