Action needs to match fire ant tough talk
Our federal, state and territory governments are failing us. We need your help to dial up the pressure to get fire ants eradicated for good.
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In July 2023, Ministers from all of Australia’s federal, state and territory governments sat on their hands and missed their opportunity to act on fire ants.
Stopping fire ants in Australia requires an overhauled and fully resourced fire ant eradication program.
A report held by the governments for years outlines what is required: at least $200 million per year over the next decade. But delay has risked abandoning Australia to a future infested with fire ants.
“Fire ants will have a $2 billion a year impact on the economy, devastate natural wildlife, cause a 40% hit to agriculture production and trigger hundreds of thousands of hospital visits from reactions to their stings. In Queensland we are already seeing sports fields and beaches closed due to the extremely painful sting inflicted by fire ants.”
– Reece Pianta, Invasive Species Council Fire Ant Campaigner
The South East Queensland infestation has spread to just 12 km from the New South Wales border. From there, they could raft down the Murray River catchment and hitch a ride on freight across the country. So long as fire ants are on the mainland somewhere, they could pop up anywhere at any time.
That means funding fire ant eradication is the responsibility of every state, territory and federal government. But some ministers might continue to hide away from the fire ant threat and shelve the problem for later.
“The government’s own review report in 2021 said that at least $200-300 million per year was needed to eradicate fire ants by 2032 and save Australia from over $2 billion in annual economic costs. We cannot risk another half-baked, underfunded program. There is just too much at stake to risk failure.”
– Reece Pianta, Invasive Species Council Fire Ant Campaigner
Our politicians say they remain committed to eradicating fire ants – but so far have only announced $60 million in funding. Far less than the $300 million their own report calls for and less even than what was spent this year on fire ant eradication!
How can political leaders say they are committed to fire ant eradication if they are cutting funding for eradication efforts?
We need to clear up this confusion and make sure our governments know unequivocally that we want fire ants eradicated for good. Add your voice now!
In July 2023, Ministers from all of Australia’s federal, state and territory governments sat on their hands and missed their opportunity to act on fire ants.
Stopping fire ants in Australia requires an overhauled and fully resourced fire ant eradication program.
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