Funding boost in fight against imported red fire ants

Extra funding has been announced to aid in the fight against imported red fire ants.

An additional $268 million over four years will be committed to the national fire ant eradication program.

It comes as a parliamentary inquiry into the Federal Government’s response to red imported fire ants gets under way.

The inquiry will assess potential damage to Australia if fire ants spread countrywide.

Red imported fire ants can be fatal to humans and can damage and kill plants by tunnelling through stems and roots.

Almost all of Australia is climatically suited for fire ants.

They can form rafts during flooding and stow away in freight, making them hard to contain.

National Farmers Federation chief executive Tony Mahar has welcomed the Federal funding to the eradication program, calling the investment critical in stopping the spread.

“Experts have told us with the right investment eradication is still possible, so I applaud the Federal Government’s investment for this stage of the response,” he said.

“It cannot be understated how much damage fire ants pose to Australian agriculture, Australia’s environment and society at large.”

Pastoralists and Graziers Association WA president Tony Seabrook was less optimistic about eradicating fire ants in Australia but had faith there could be a way to stop the spread.

“We maintain a hope that a solution may be found,” he said. “It is highly unlikely that it’s going to be chemical, and far more likely it will be biological.”

Mr Seabrook said biology had been Australia’s best frontier for pests and diseases in the past.

“There’s been some fantastic results from the application of biological control,” he said.