Eradication of fire ants is still possible but changes must be made to the current response

This week representatives from QFF and members CANEGROWERS Australia and Cotton Australia , appeared at a public hearing as part of an ongoing inquiry into Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) in Australia.

RIFA is a super pest with expected impacts to exceed the combined effects of some of Australia’s worst invasive species. RIFA will create substantial economic damage and pose a deadly threat to human and animal life.

The ants are anticipated to cost the agriculture sector alone upwards of $2 billion a year, including a 40% reduction in agricultural outputs. Given invasive species are already costing Australian farmers $5 billion a year through management and production losses, RIFA presents a significant additional strain on farm expenditure.

The nursery and garden industry is particularly at risk given the ease with which ants are spread through mulch, soil, and other loose material. While nursery and garden businesses are working hard and following the correct processes, there is a significant risk in public and residential areas that are not managed with the same vigilance that individual enterprises are applying to this threat.

The current response to fire ants is twofold with a federally funded eradication program attacking the outer perimeter of the infestation and a state and individual landholder funded suppression program aiming at keeping infestations low but not eradicated.

This approach is costly to landholders, confusing and will not eliminate the fire ant. It is like a bushfire being tackled by firefighters at the main blaze but leaving the management of the numerous spotfires caused by this blaze to individual landholders to manage with minimal support.

The only acceptable outcome from an industry, community and public health perspective, is eradication, which requires the government to commit to eradication within their current suppression zones. The cost of doing so now will far outweigh the future costs of RIFA running rampant through Australia’s farms, parks, schools and other public places.

Eradication will also require engagement and collaboration across stakeholder networks. and complete transparency from government in relation to progress reporting and keeping communities and industry informed.

The Queensland Olympics are now just 8 years away. If RIFA are not eradicated by then, southeast Queensland visitors and residents face a significant public health risk. The eradication of RIFA in Australia is still possible, but only with adequate funding and effective, targeted treatment which supports and mobilizes community, industry and government. Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility and effective outcomes require government to be willing to listen to and work with experts.