Search your suburb: Fire ant numbers explode in SEQ

As the state government body meant to the war against fire ants is slammed for having no clear strategy, data reveals just how many of the deadly insects have been detected in South East Queensland suburbs.

The state government body meant to lead Queensland’s war against the deadly fire ant and other destructive pests doesn’t have good enough leadership, a clear strategy, or “objective rationale” on how it spends its money, the Auditor General has found.

Biosecurity Queensland also doesn’t have a “complete picture” of the number or spread of the invasive species it’s attempting to manage across the state, and, in the case of feral cats, doesn’t even have a strategy.

The scathing Queensland Auditor General report also warned the lack of transparency was such it was “difficult to determine” how well the state’s efforts have fared against the Red Imported Fire Ant — now just 11.6km from the New South Wales border.

The ant was recently found at The Spit on the Gold Coast, and earlier in 2023 officially spread to North Stradbroke Island, with the report showing Park Ridge, Logan Reserve and Greenbank had the highest detections between 2007 and 2022.

Invasive pests overall are estimated to cost the Australian economy between $5bn and $7bn a year.

But the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries — which runs Biosecurity Queensland — accused Auditor General Brendan Worrall of taking a “narrow view” of biosecurity and of failing to speak to independent experts.

The criticism was refuted by the QAO, which did speak to independent experts.

The Department ultimately accepted all eight recommendations of the report, including committing to review its leadership, strategy, biosecurity laws, and to improve data collection over a period of years stretching into mid-2026.

The push back against the QAO prompted Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie to warn “nothing would change” if the department’s culture remained the same, while blaming Minister Mark Furner for “dropping the ball”.

Mr Furner defended his department and said they had been “kicking goals” in containing the spread of fire ants.

Fire ants are coppery brown with a dark abdomen and are only about 2-6mm long.

Mr Worrall, in the report, wrote that the gaps in Biosecurity Queensland’s leadership and strategy inhibit its ability to identify and co-ordinate its priorities.

“It is unclear which invasive species are a priority (with some exceptions, such as fire ants), who decides the priorities, or how this is determined,” he said.

“Furthermore, Biosecurity Queensland does not have a complete view of its funding for all invasive species programs. Therefore, it cannot ensure its funding is effectively prioritised to achieve the best overall outcomes and provide value for money.”

A recently released review of the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program found current efforts were not enough to get rid of or contain the insect, and failure to act would end in ant spreading across yards, lawns, fields, farms and golf courses.

It found all hope of eradicating a destructive and deadly ant would be “lost forever” if the pest escaped Queensland’s borders.

The Invasive Species Council has repeatedly warned households will bear the brunt of uncontrolled fire ant infestations, with damage to electricity and water systems and the costs of treating backyards and gardens to make them liveable.

Invasive Species Council campaigner Reece Pianta the QAO report should be a “wake up call to government”.

“Action in Queensland has been adhoc and underfunded for too long and this is costing our wildlife and environment,” he said.

“We urgently need changes to ensure some basics like prioritisation of risks and adequate reporting on outcomes are routine parts of the system at all levels.

“We also need a big boost to the baseline funding that is dedicated to invasive species action in Queensland, including to scale up action on key invasives like feral cats and regional priority weeds.”

Fire ants are also expected to cause thousands of hospital admissions every year.