Pests could cost the state in billions if the spread continues, Invasive Species Council warns

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

One of the world’s worst invasive pests, red fire ants, have been detected outside a containment zone in Queensland’s scenic rim.

The ants, destroyers of crops and harbingers of doom for many forms of outdoor recreation, are considered a potential $45bn problem should they become widely established in Queensland.

The discovery comes as the Invasive Species Council prepares to release a discussion paper raising alarm at the country’s handling of threats to biodiversity.

• Sign up to receive the top stories in Australia every day at noon

The report says the federal government has, for the past six years, refused to assess or list any more invasive species as part of a “deliberate strategy to limit funding demands”.

Red imported fire ants were listed as a “key threatening process” (KTP) in 2003, with a corresponding “threat abatement plan” (TAP) set in 2006.

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation president, Stuart Armitage, said the ants, which were native to South America but were first detected in Australia in 2001, could have significant environmental and social impacts.



Venomous fire ants a 'real and present danger' to Australian lives, warns report Read more

“Fire ants attack indiscriminately, potentially destroying the way of life for many Queenslanders and costing the state $45b over 30 years,” Armitage said.



‘No barbecues on the lawn, no backyard cricket’

“It may not be well understood, but if fire ants become permanently established, people in affected areas wouldn’t be able to enjoy our natural amenity or recreational areas. That means no camping, no barbecues on the lawn, no backyard cricket and no outside pets.

“Vast areas of the state’s natural environment, including world heritage areas and national parks, are prone to fire ant invasion.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Red fire ants pose a significant threat to agriculture and the environment. Photograph: AAP

Armitage said the threat to agriculture was also significant and the nursery industry in south-east Queensland was already grappling with the problem.

“A lot of people seem to think that biosecurity is just a problem for agriculture – it’s not. Everyone has a role to play and a general biosecurity obligation.”

Fire ants have been detected in Brisbane, Sydney and the Gladstone region. The ants were eradicated from Sydney and Gladstone, but a biosecurity zone remains in place in south-east Queensland, covering much of Brisbane and stretching to the Scenic Rim.

The latest find was about a kilometre from the boundary of the biosecurity zone, near Anthony in the Scenic Rim. It follows detections in the Lockyer Valley in April and at Beerwah, on the Sunshine Coast, last year.

‘Too little funding’ for invasive species

The Invasive Species Council is preparing to release a report, seen by Guardian Australia, critical of the national approach to KTP listings, which are designed to identify big threats to biodiversity, and the TAP process, which is about preventing damage and mitigating those threats.

The report says seven cases were refused for listing, including one that was knocked back by the federal government against the advice of the threatened species scientific committee.

“Stymieing further invasive species listings appears to be a deliberate strategy to limit funding demands because there is far too little funding for abating the already-listed KTPs,” the report says.

The council’s chief executive officer, Andrew Cox, said Australia’s notoriously strict biosecurity and quarantine processes were heavily geared towards threats to the agricultural industry. Threats to the environment, he said, were not given the same priority.

Biosecurity blitz to target red fire ants that threaten Australian way of life Read more

“It’s only going to get worse as the current emerging pests spread throughout the landscape and as new ones arrive. We still haven’t turned off the tap while we’re cleaning up the mess,” Cox said.



“Our biosecurity system is not strong enough for the environment.”

Goats are listed as a threat, but the abatement plan is almost 20 years old and hasn’t been reviewed since 2005. Goat numbers are steadily increasing and the species is destructive to native vegetation. But because goats were harvested for meat, Cox said “the agricultural interests prevail”.

Other examples of failures of the KTP process include feral deer, which Cox said were spreading across Tasmania, NSW and Victoria, angering many landholders.



Buffel grass, another rejected listing, is actively planted by graziers in the Northern Territory but ecologists are concerned about its spread and impact in arid environments, particularly in Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park.

