Authorities are rushing to contain the spread of fire ants after the invasive species crossed the Queensland border into New South Wales for the first time since the infestation began in 2001.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed on Saturday that three red imported fire ant nests had been found in South Murwillumbah, 13km from the Queensland border in the state’s north-east.
“This is the first fire ant detection in northern NSW and presumed to be the most southern report of fire ants from the Queensland infestation,” the department said.
According to the Department of Primary Industries, red imported fire ants can damage electrical and agricultural equipment, sting people, pets and livestock, kill native plants and animals and damage ecosystems “beyond repair”.
The NSW government said it was working with the federal government, Queensland and Tweed shire council to chemically eradicate the infestation.
Control efforts were focused on a 200-metre radius from the nest sites, with DPI officers and detection dogs working to determine the extent and origin of the infestation.
A biosecurity control and tracing order had also been applied over a 5km radius, restricting businesses and residents from moving potential fire and carrier materials. Fines for breaching the order can reach up to $1.1m for an individual and up to $2.2m for a corporation.
The federal agriculture minister, Murray Watt, said the Queensland and NSW governments were working to eradicate the detection and monitor surrounding areas.
“This is the first fire ant detection in northern NSW but not the first detection outside south-east Queensland, with isolated detections having previously been eradicated in Gladstone, the Port of Botany and the Port of Fremantle,” he said.
The NSW agriculture minister, Tara Moriarty, said the state government had been prepared for the discovery of fire ants in northern NSW and had immediately implemented the response plan, part of an almost $600m national eradication program.
“Finding fire ants early and alerting NSW DPI, just like the community member has done in this instance, will increase our chances of a successful eradication effort,” Moriarty said.
But a conservation officer at the Invasive Species Council, Reece Pianta, said the state government’s funding allocated until 2027 would not be enough.
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“Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests and, if they are allowed to spread across the continent, their impact will be greater than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined,” he said.
“They will devastate Australia’s environment and agriculture, cost our economy billions annually and we could see over 140,000 extra medical visits every year.”
Pianta said the spread into NSW should be a wake-up call for the Victorian, Western Australian and South Australian governments yet to commit to their share of funding for eradication.
The NSW Farmers Association warned the incursion posed a threat to agricultural production and the landscape of NSW, urging authorities to act quickly.
“Red imported fire ants should have been eradicated 20 years ago but ineffective management in Queensland enabled them to become established,” it said.
“We want red imported fire ants eradicated not only in New South Wales, but in Queensland where this incursion originated.”
The association said incursion demonstrated the “urgent need” for greater investment across governments to support biosecurity.
“The ants can damage agricultural equipment, sting livestock, and damage the natural environment,” it said. “It also poses a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of all people in NSW.”
The NSW Nationals leader, Dugald Saunders, said it was a case of too little too late.
“What we’ve seen from the state and federal governments so far is a complete lack of urgency, and it’s taken the detection of these ants in NSW to trigger an eradication response,” he said.
A review of the national red imported fire ant eradication program warned all hopes would be “lost forever” if the ant moved across the Queensland border into NSW.