Fire Ants Gold Coast: Fears Gold Coast’s lifestyle ‘could be destroyed’ by ‘super pest’ invasion

The Gold Coast has been warned the fire ant invasion is the biggest threat to the city’s economy since the Covid-19 pandemic as pleas grow for urgent action.

City leaders have vented their frustration at the spread of fire ants across the Gold Coast, saying they have been ignored despite sounding the alarm on the deadly pests for more than three years.

An urgent push for the state and federal governments to throw more resources at tackling the ant invasion is gathering steam, with the creatures having reached the Southport Broadwater Parklands, The Spit and the southern Gold Coast. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week said dealing with the spread of the ants presented a challenge for the city’s economy after a Commonwealth review of response programs found eradication could not be achieved with the current budget.

Fire ants. Picture Supplied,

The nation’s ministers across different levels of government responsible for biosecurity are expected to meet in July to discuss the review’s recommendations.

But Mayor Tom Tate and Robina councillor Herman Vorster say intervention is needed sooner rather than later with the ants’ presence near our beaches posing a threat to our tourism industry.

Their comments come a day after the Auditor General delivered scathing findings about Biosecurity Queensland – the authority responsible for fire ants eradication.

The Auditor General found the biosecurity body doesn’t have good enough leadership, a clear strategy, or “objective rationale” on how it spends its money.

Fire ants are rapidly spreading. Picture by Richard Gosling

Cr Vorster said Mr Albanese’s “extraordinary intervention” had demonstrated “just how dysfunctional the state-led response had been.

“However, the only thing the PM has promised is another talkfest rather than a fundamental reboot of the program and if the (state) Minister is unwilling to act immediately about an issue which has been sitting on his desk for the past three years, perhaps the premier should consider handing the portfolio to a different minister,” he said.

“For years we have been ringing alarm bells here on the Gold Coast with the state government wilfully ignoring environmentalists and community representatives – I wonder if they will wilfully ignore the PM too.

Fire ants have been detected at Philip park on The spit near federal walk. Picture Glenn Hampson

“This is not making a mountain of out of an ant hill, but speaking up on a biosecurity risk that could shut down every beach on the Gold Coast, destroy livelihoods in the tourism sector and put an end to the Gold Coast’s lifestyle.”

Mayor Tom Tate in an exclusive Bulletin column said the time to act was now.

“Fire ants represent the greatest threat to our city’s economy since the Covid pandemic,” he said.

“Right now, the Gold Coast is staring down the barrel of a full-scale invasion. Fire ant warning signs are popping up in our parks and on private property.

Mayor Tom Tate. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Unless we act now, we can kiss goodbye to sports being played on open fields as well as school grounds being places for children to roam.

Friends of Federation Walk leader Lyn Wright said the community needed more updates on the situation

“I would support any discussion going on to do something about (fire ants) so we can put everyone at ease that they are safe if they are wanting to use Federation Walk.”

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.