Fire Ants Gold Coast: Tipping point as pest can no longer be stopped at the border
The battle to stop fire ants invading the entire Gold Coast has only weeks to play out, with the City calling for an immediate boost in the eradication program. SEE ALL THE DETAILS
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The battle to stop fire ants invading the entire Gold Coast has only weeks to play out, with the City calling for an immediate boost in the eradication program.
Councillors now fear the war against the pest appears to be lost, with agencies dealing with a containment scenario as the ants head towards the Queensland-NSW border.
This will remain the immediate future for the Coast — agencies controlling an increased number of infestations — unless some huge boost occurs in federal and State funding.
After a full council meeting on Tuesday, councillors were “bitterly disappointed” the State Government will create a “shoe horn” containment area for fire ants on the border.
“What that tells us is they are flying the white flag,” Councillor Hermann Vorster said.
“They have absolutely surrendered to eradication here on the Gold Coast, by making the border and not the Gold Coast, the last line of defence.”
Council at its last budget had approved three new staff to stop fire ants, and at full council endorsed a new report to see what could be done to support the Government, Cr Vorster said.
“But we are at the mercy of the national fire ant eradication program, and that remains horribly under-resourced,” he said.
“What do know if $593 million needs to be thrown at this problem by the State and Commonwealth governments, and both failed to commit to that funding. By kicking the can down the road they will put more southern communities at risk.”
Asked if the fight to stop the ants was lost, Cr Vorster replied: “I think we are at an absolutely tipping point. We have mere weeks to act. If the Government doesn’t step up, the game is well and truly over.”
Meanwhile, Nationals leader and Opposition Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has accused the Federal Government of stalling on funding.
He says the Albanese Government is spending less on the eradication program, after a joint meeting between the Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and State Agriculture Ministers failed to reach an agreement on funding allocation.
Mr Littleproud said Labor’s decision to go back to the drawing board simply was not good enough, particularly when they also announced just $60 million in funding for fire ant eradication, down from $94 million last year.
“Labor is taking too long to make what is a critical decision for the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication program,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This was discussed back in May and it’s now crunch time. There were already fears this program would be underfunded but now Labor is dragging the chain.”
At least $200 million to $300 million per year is needed to eradicate fire ants by 2032 and save Australia from $2 billion in annual economic costs.
Mr Littleproud said the lack of action was undermining previous work that had been done under the Coalition Government with the Invasive Species Council.
He warned red fire ants could now spread beyond current containment zones into western Queensland and New South Wales.
The pest was recently discovered on the outskirts of Toowoomba, meaning the fire ant has made it across the Great Dividing Range for the first time.
“The frightening thing is that if it gets up above the Great Dividing Range, it could potentially get into the Murray Darling Basin, and that could effectively see the fire ants go right down to Adelaide.
“Fire ants are also now on the Gold Coast. If the fire ants reach New South Wales, it will be devastating.
“This is an urgent issue and the question needs to be asked whether Queensland Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner is up to administering this program, considering he’s responsible for its failure to date.”
People who cause the spread of fire ants will face $470,000 fines and three years in prison as part of a state-led crackdown on the super pests.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner announced the harsh biosecurity measures which are part of the $60m 2023-27 Red Fire Ant Eradication Program endorsed earlier in July by the federal, state and territory ministers.
EARLIER:
People who cause the spread of fire ants will face $470,000 fines and three years in prison as part of a state-led crackdown on the super pests.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner announced the harsh biosecurity measures which are part of the $60m 2023-27 Red Fire Ant Eradication Program endorsed earlier in July by the federal, state and territory ministers.
Mr Furner, speaking at Philip Park on The Spit where fire ant nests have been detected, said he wanted to eradicate the “super pests”.
“This is a plan which will find a horseshoe shape from Moreton Bay out to the Lockyer Valley and south to the Tweed in which (fire ants) will be suppressed and eradicated,” he said.
“People need to remember as part of this funding and national program we will be coming down tough on compliance and in the past there have been sectors of industry which have not been compliant, so this funding will provide for more compliance officers but also deal with the need for suppression and then eradication.
“Everyone also needs to remind themselves regardless of whether they are inside or outside the zone that the Biosecurity Act 2014 has an obligation on everyone to not spread these insidious super pests.
It was revealed over the weekend, the ants had reached the southern Gold Coast, found in the Tallebudgera Valley.
Fire ants were discovered by Council workers at a pony club in the valley, just 5.5km from the NSW border. They moved more than 8km in a handful of weeks, having most recently been found at Miami High.
Mr Furner said the nest, which has since been wiped out, arrived in the rural area as a result of soil or mulch being brought in.
Mr Furner said harsh measures allowed for under the Biosecurity Act would be used in the crackdown.
“There has been people movement on many occasions where some of the incursions have been,” he said.
“It is important that people understand their obligations when they are moving materials around the area,” he said.
“There are fines in the act for up to $470,000 or three years imprisonment which naturally will be a heavy cost on those people who do not conform with the Act.
“It can also see movement orders put upon those businesses where they are unable to operate for a period of time until Biosecurity Queensland is satisfied that they are compliant.”
While the $60m funding announced earlier this month by the agriculture ministers was welcomed, civic leaders and the Invasive Species Council say it is a drop in the bucket of what is needed after a Queensland Audit Office report identified the need for an additional $593m over the next four years to fight the pests.
The presence of the pests also near The Spit to the north has the city on high alert, with the potential to close down our beaches and various public facilities if the spread gets out of control.
This worst case scenario would have a devastating impact on the Coast economy.
Councillors this year described the spread of the fire ants as a frightening development, as only three years ago they were not predicted to reach Burleigh until 2024.
Fire ants, which are native to South America and first discovered in Brisbane in 2001, are considered one of the world’s worst invasive species because of their rapid spread.
They are highly aggressive and will swarm anything which disturbs their nests.
Their stings can be fatal in rare circumstances.
The Gold Coast City Council in July commissioned a report outlining the escalating social, economic and biosecurity risks of imported red fire ants. The recommendation in the report, which will be presented in future talks with the state, is council’s preferred approach will be “eradication of the pest”.
However, that requires significant state and federal funding.
Meet the Gold Coast girl about to become the face of Australia
New Miss Universe Australia Zoe Creed opens up on being a tomboy, pressure of being a teen model from age 15 and the ‘dark part of my life’ before claiming the tiara. FULL INTERVIEW
Revealed: When Greenmount Resort will be demolished
It’s been revealed when the famous Greenmount Beach Resort will host its final guests as the $550m redevelopment of the site ramps up with plans for even more towers on the site.