DESTRUCTIVE red fire ants are just 10 kilometres north of the NSW border and Australia’s agriculture ministers met yesterday to discuss how to stop their advance.

Until now eradication plans have failed and the country is waiting to see what leadership our agriculture ministers can provide.

Meanwhile the critters, native to the Americas, keep moving south.

The last eradication plan for the ants – first identified in Brisbane in 2001 – dates back to 2017 and two years ago was deemed inadequate.

“In August 2021 the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program Strategic Review determined that eradication will not be successful with the current plan or resource levels,” said Invasive Species Council campaigner Reece Pianta.

“Without fire-ant control efforts, we expect fire ants will arrive in the [Nambucca] area by the end of the decade just on their natural spread and assuming they don’t arrive here sooner as stowaways in cargo,” he said.

“Fire-ant nests have been identified about 10km from the NSW border in the past month, showing they are moving south and posing a threat to NSW,” he said.

If fire ants breach containment into NSW they are likely to spread quickly, primarily in freight and cargo, during flood events and potentially in feed being moved during droughts.

The Invasive Species Council reckons a fire-ant future would cost Australians more than $1.2 billion dollars every year, result in thousands of medical appointments from their stings, wipe out native wildlife and close parks, beaches, gardens and sporting fields.

“We have recently written to the Federal, NSW and Qld governments calling for urgent action to stop the spread of fire ants and ramp up fire ant eradication efforts,” said Mr Pianta.

The two-year-old strategic review identified the most cost-effective option in response to fire ants as an increase in resources for eradication and a new approach to suppression in fire-ant infestation zones.

“This new strategy of containment, suppression and eradication is supported by 27 recommendations; however government leadership must set the strategy which underpins those recommendations,” he said.

“We request that a clear statement of direction be provided at the July Agriculture Ministers meeting along with a funding boost to support continuing eradication efforts,” said Reece.

See the petition at: https://invasives.org.au/how-to-help/take-action/save-australia-from-fire-ants/

By Andrea FERRARI