Fire ants have been discovered inside kilometres of the NSW border within the southernmost detection of the invasive pest.
The discovery of a nest at Tallebudgera on Queensland’s Gold Coast has authorities on excessive alert and prompted additional requires fast-tracked funding.
The nest, which has since been destroyed, was discovered on non-public land believed to be getting used as a pony membership 5 kilometres from the border.
“Residents in Tallebudgera and surrounding suburbs should be on the lookout for fire ants,” a spokesperson for a nationwide eradication program mentioned.
The discovery is eight kilometres south of a latest outbreak at a Miami college on the Gold Coast.
The detection has prompted the Invasive Species Council to repeat it requires elevated eradication efforts.
“This means that NSW is now at extreme risk of being invaded,” the council’s Reece Pianta mentioned.
“The distance is now close enough for a single queen ant’s flight to spark a fire ant infestation across the border.”
The extremely harmful ant is native to South America and poses a severe threat to agriculture, public well being and native environments.
Fire ants have been in Australia since 2001 after they have been present in Brisbane.
But there have been a number of latest vital detections in southeast Queensland since April because the ant continues its march.
A gathering of agriculture ministers in Perth final week didn’t agree on funding to fight the tremendous pest, regardless of figuring out the “very real threat” it poses and endorsing a brand new response plan.
A not too long ago launched overview of Australia’s hearth ant eradication program discovered at the least $3 billion was wanted over the subsequent 5 years to wipe out the pest.
The Invasive Species Council mentioned the newest outbreak needs to be a large wake-up name to Australia’s agriculture ministers.
“They need to stop mucking around and get on with an urgent ramp-up of the eradication program,” Mr Pianta mentioned.
“There are no excuses for further delay, underfunding and inaction.”
Federal agriculture minister Murray Watt informed AAP that as a Gold Coast-based senator he was conscious about the continuing dangers.
“That’s why agriculture ministers agreed to fast-track funding,” Senator Watt mentioned.
“By the end of the year, more than $400 million will have been spent over the past six years trying to stop the march of the fire ant.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
