Fire ant battle plan scaled down amid less funding, bureaucratic ‘dithering’

Australia’s latest battle plan against a destructive super pest will involve less money than expected, slashing the treatment area in half.

Australia’s latest battle plan against a destructive super pest will involve less money than expected, slashing the treatment area in half, and reducing surveillance efforts, leaked documents have revealed.

Slow bureaucracy is largely to blame for the funding shortfall this financial year, according to a leading campaign group, warning any “dithering and delay” risked failure in the fight against the deadly and industry-decimating red imported fire ant.

A recent review of the nation’s efforts to eradicate fire ants warned all hopes would be “lost forever” if the pest – now just 5.5km away – jumped the Queensland border into New South Wales.

Agriculture ministers, at a July meeting in Perth, agreed in principle to a new four-year fire ant strategy, starting with $133m this financial year to ring-fence the entire infested area for treatment and surveillance.

This boundary stretches from about Caboolture, to Esk, down to Gatton and Boonah and out to Coolangatta.

But the leaked strategy document reveals the National Fire Ant Eradication Program only has $84m to spend in 2023-24 as it stands because the federal government and a number of states need to head back to the budget drawing board.

It means the attack against fire ants will be limited to treating the area from Coolangatta to Glen Rock State Forest, with surveillance also cut from 17 per cent of the ring-fenced area or “horseshoe” down to 8 per cent.

Invasive Species Council spokesman Reece Pianta said the window to stop fire ants spreading across the country was rapidly closing.

“Instead of the urgent funding boost needed, we have more dithering and delay from the federal government. This is risking failure,” he said.

“When we saw these alarming documents, our worst fears were realised.

“They reveal planned eradication and surveillance work has been cut by more than half this year due to delayed funding.

“This is outrageous.

“We are in a race against these fire ants and the fire ants are winning.”

But federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, in a joint statement with Queensland counterpart Mark Furner, said they rejected the Invasive Species Council’s “analysis” and affirmed the Commonwealth and jurisdictions were “100 per cent” committed to fire ant eradication.

“Ministers confirmed their commitment to eradication, and will now go back through their own individual budget processes to seek ongoing funding for a new response plan beyond July 2024,” they said.

“Make no mistake, this is a world leading program which has successfully limited the spread of fire ants – and it’s based on expert scientific advice from the very best minds in this field.”