Latest news with #NationalFireAntEradicationProgram
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Detection of fire ants in Queensland 800km from closest infestation sparks fury over gaps in eradication funding
Fire ants have been detected in central Queensland for the first time in history after a major outbreak at a BHP Broadmeadow coalmine. The discovery has prompted fury among the Invasive Species Council, who have questioned how the invasive pest had travelled almost 800km from the closest known infestation zone. The National Fire Ant Eradication Program on Friday urged businesses and industry to stay alert for fire ants after nests were discovered at Moranbah, a coalmining town about 150km inland from Mackay. They said program eradication officers first visited the BHP mine on 9 July, and the nests were destroyed using direct injection. 'The program … will conduct eradication activities across the impacted area – including intensive surveillance and broadscale treatment – to ensure any present fire ants are eradicated,' they said in a statement. 'Genetic analysis and tracing activities are being conducted to help determine how the ants reached Moranbah. 'Detections outside the south east Queensland eradication zone are serious and highlight the risk posed by movement of materials that can carry fire ants.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A spokesperson for BHP said keeping the community safe was the company's 'top priority' and it was 'working closely' with the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to support the 'rapid containment, treatment, and eradication of this fire ant detection'. Red imported fire ants are one of the world's worst invasive species, considered a pest due to their painful stings and potential to cause severe ecological, agricultural and economic damage. Twenty-three people in Queensland were hospitalised with serious fire ant stings amid a surge in reports in the aftermath of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. They were first detected in Australia in Queensland in 2001 and have since been found in parts of New South Wales and Western Australia. They are a category 1 restricted matter under the National Environmental Biosecurity Response Agreement. The Invasive Species Council said the breach outside existing biosecurity zones, which are spread throughout Queensland, was unacceptable and pointed to the need for additional funding. Its advocacy director, Reece Pianta, said she was 'incredibly angry'. 'In the last week, we've had another detection in New South Wales, an interception in Western Australia and now the first outbreak in Central Queensland,' she said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'This is not bad luck, it's a spectacular failure because of known gaps in funding, enforcement and surveillance. 'Australia's last chance to eradicate deadly fire ants is being destroyed because Australia's governments are dithering and delaying critical funding increases.' Pianta pointed to a recent Senate inquiry into red imported fire ants which found the government program tasked with their elimination was an 'absolute shambles' and that an independent eradication body was urgently needed. 'We have warned for two years that there is a major gap in funding for suppression, with nest densities off the charts south of Brisbane,' Pianta said. 'Now we're seeing the consequences play out – fire ants are slipping through the cracks and turning up in places they've never been before.' A spokesperson for the federal government said the Queensland government-led National Fire Ant Eradication Program aimed to eradicate red imported fire ants from south east Queensland by 2032 and continued to respond quickly to new detections outside the containment zone. 'Our government is contributing a record investment of just under $300m for the program, representing around 50% of the total national cost-shared budget,' they said. 'This is nearly four times more investment than was the case at the end of 2021-22.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Fire ants detected at central Queensland Broadmeadow Coal Mine
Fire ants have been detected in central Queensland for the first time, at a mine site near Moranbah, more than 150 kilometres inland from Mackay. The National Fire Ant Eradication Program confirmed the ants were identified at the Broadmeadow Coal Mine site on Wednesday. Program officers have already been to the site and destroyed nests. The ants are an invasive pest capable of causing serious economic and environmental damage and are a serious health risk to humans. The Invasive Species Council called for an urgent review into the fire ant program, warning large parts of Australia were at risk of infestations if action was not taken. The council's chief executive, Jack Gough, said he was "very angry" hearing of the outbreak. "It reflects something that we've been telling governments for two years would happen," he said. "We are condemning Australia to a future of fire ants. Mr Gough said the detection, about 800 kilometres from a known site, meant the density of fire ants in south-east Queensland was too high and it was reaching levels seen in the United States. "It's similar to what you see in Texas where they've got an out-of-control outbreak," Mr Gough said. "The chance of fire ants slipping through the gaps and getting into new areas is inevitable." Mr Gough said that if fire ants spread through Australia, it would have a $2 billion economic impact and cause harm to people, native animals and livestock. Originally from South America, fire ants have aggressive temperaments and painful stings. Mr Gough said at least $24 million in funding was needed to suppress fire ants. National Fire Ant Eradication Program director Michael Homden said he was working closely with the mine to contain, treat and eradicate the pests quickly. "This detection is a strong reminder that community and industry vigilance can, and does, stop the spread of fire ants," Mr Homden said. Officers are expected to continue eradication actions in the impacted area with increased surveillance. Genetic testing and tracing is also underway to determine how the pests came to be at the mine site. Broadmeadow Mine is a joint venture between BHP and Mitsubishi Development (BMA). A BMA spokesperson said keeping staff and the community safe was its top priority, and it would continue to work with the fire ant program. Queensland Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said he was concerned about the outbreak. Mr Perrett said further information would be provided as the investigation took place. The ABC has contacted the Federal Department of Agriculture for comment.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Fury as fire ants hit major coalmine
An outbreak of fire ants has hit mining giant BHP's Broadmeadow mine in central Queensland, sparking alarm and fury in environmentalists. The Invasive Species Council flagged the outbreak on Friday, warning it marked the first time the ants, which can cause devastating economic and environmental impacts, had been detected in the region. 'In the last week, we've had another detection in NSW, an interception in WA and now the first outbreak in Central Queensland,' advocacy manager Reece Pianta said. 'I am incredibly angry about this. This is not bad luck. It's a spectacular failure because of known gaps in funding, enforcement and surveillance.' The ants infect painful stings on people and animals and pose a threat to agricultural businesses. They can fly up to 5km and travel over and underground, the government's animal and plant pests and diseases website states, and can also move with shipping containers and cargo and hide in soil, mulch, fertiliser and plant material. The government has spent $690m to contain and eradicate the species since 2001 following an outbreak in South East Queensland. Red imported fire ants are an invasive ant species that can infect painful stings on people and animals. Supplied Credit: Supplied A nest of fire ants has been discovered at a BHP coalmine in central Queensland. BHP Credit: News Regional Media The 2021 Scott-Orr Review concluded an extra $200m to $300m in yearly funding for 10 years was needed to contain and eradicate the threat. 'Australia's last chance to eradicate deadly fire ants is being destroyed because Australia's governments are dithering and delaying critical funding increases,' Mr Pianta said. 'We have warned for two years that there is a major gap in funding for suppression, with nest densities off the charts south of Brisbane. 'The Senate inquiry found this. The independent program review found this. The Queensland government has raised this. The federal biosecurity department knows this. 'But every time it has been raised, the message we get back is that new funding is just around the corner if only we will be patient.' Broadmeadow is a metallurgical coalmine located near Moranbah in Queensland's Bowen Basin, about 1050km north of Brisbane. National Fire Ant Eradication Program officers visited the mine site on Wednesday to clear out the ant nests. Fire ants pose a serious threat to the country's agricultural industry. Supplied Credit: Supplied The Invasive Species Council warns fire ants are spreading across Australia. Supplied Credit: Supplied A BHP spokesman said the company was working closely with the program to support the 'rapid containment, treatment and eradication' of the detection. Mr Pianta said the Broadmeadow detection demonstrated the country's control system was 'breaking down'. 'This outbreak at Broadmeadow is almost 800km from the known infestation zone,' he said. 'That's simply unacceptable. Every mine site and construction project across the country should be checking for fire ants. 'Any business or resident that has received materials from South East Queensland needs to check them. 'This outbreak is a national wake-up call.' In 2024, The Australia Institute warned that fire ants could cost the country up to $22bn in losses by the 2040s. It is estimated the ants will produce $2.5bn in damages each year beyond 2035.
Sky News AU
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Queensland LNP government says Labor's 'lacklustre' approach to eradicating fire ants fuels major spread south of the border
The Crisafulli government has slammed the opposition for allowing Queensland's fire ants problem to spread from the Sunshine State into the northern rivers' region of New South Wales. Fire ants are an invasive species which are believed to have entered Australia in shipping containers from America, while the spread in Queensland is understood to have kicked off in Brisbane in 2001. They have been known to affect agricultural areas, with studies from the United States revealing a 35 per cent reduction in potato yield in Florida, and a 65 per cent reduction in corn yield in Mississippi. They can affect more than 50 agricultural and horticultural crops, as well as turf and nursery species. All are grown in Australia, in areas which fire ants could inhabit with fears the species could damage and kill some plants by tunnelling through roots and stems. The Crisafulli government is now ramping up eradication efforts from a seasonal approach to a new year-round treatment in three regions. The treatment will take place in Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim regions, which follows scientific trials conducted by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. The program will then move east towards the southern Gold Coast, where warmer temperatures persist for a longer period. 'The era of Labor's lacklustre go-slow approach to fire ants is over and we are meeting this challenge with all the resources available,' Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said. 'The research-based treatment all year round could change the game for the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and puts Queensland in a very exciting position to have the best chance to eradicate fire ants from Australia by 2032', he said. 'We are listening to the most cutting-edge science, and we are implementing key recommendations from multiple scathing reports that Labor ignored during their decade in power." The ants are known to have a painful bite and adapted to life in Australia through the lack of natural predators and the warm sub-tropical climate. The Invasive Species Council said more than 97 per cent of Australia is a suitable climate for fire ants. They could inhabit almost the entire continent except for the most extreme, coldest locations. According to the National fire ant eradication program, the invasive species have been detected across mainland Australia barring Tasmania.
Perth Now
04-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Invasive fire ants nests found in southeast Queensland
Two nests of highly invasive red imported fire ants have been detected and destroyed outside of official biosecurity zones in Queensland. Red fire ant nests were discovered by a local pest manager at the Harmony Estate, a new residential neighbourhood in the Sunshine Coast locality of Palmview, on Tuesday. The following day, officers from the National Fire Ant Eradication program attended the site and destroyed the nests using insecticide injections. Camera Icon Two nests of highly invasive red imported fire ants have been detected and destroyed outside of official biosecurity zones in Queensland. Photos: Invasive Species Council Credit: News Corp Australia Harmony Estate does not lie within one of the fire ant biosecurity zones, which are designed to restrict the movement of materials that could spread fire ants. Over the past year, nine new fire ant outbreaks found outside official biosecurity containment zones have occurred on residential construction sites. Camera Icon Fire ant biosecurity zones help prevent the human-assisted spread of fire ants through the movement of materials that can carry fire ants. Credit: Supplied The National Fire Ant Eradication Program said they are continuing to work with developers who deal with materials that can carry fire ants, such as soil, pot plants, nursery stock, sand, gravel, grass, turf, hay, wood, or soil-moving equipment, to stop the spread. A spokesperson from the National Fire Ant Eradication program said residents in the area should be on the lookout and report any other sightings of the highly invasive pest. Extreme weather events, including ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, have fuelled the spread as the insects were forced above ground and floated on top of flood waters, which carried them into new areas. Since the beginning of March, the National Fire Ant Eradication Program has received 60 reports of extreme reactions to fire ant stings requiring medical attention in southeast Queensland. Of those reports, 23 people required hospitalisation. This surge has also reportedly led to the death of a pet dog in Logan. Fire ant stings, while generally not life threatening, can cause severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis in some people. Camera Icon Pustules resulting from fire ant stings. Photos: Invasive Species Council Credit: Supplied The most common reaction is a burning sensation, redness and swelling. In addition to health impacts, fire ants feed on fauna that nests or feeds on the ground, and can displace or eliminate native species. Camera Icon Fire Ant detection dogs are one method the National Eradication Program employs to stop the spread of the invasive species. Glenn Campbell/ NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia While each insect is only 2-6 mm long, the Queensland government estimates that if not eradicated, the impacts of fire ants in Australia will surpass the combined damage done each year by all other pests, including feral cats, wild dogs, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads. Native to South America, red imported fire ants were first detected in Brisbane, Queensland in 2001. The National Fire Ant Eradication program has successfully eradicated six separate incursions in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and Western Australia.
