In response to a new report from the Queensland Audit Office, the Invasive Species Council is calling on the Queensland government to prioritise an urgent boost to funding for invasive species action to protect wildlife and the environment.
In response to a new report from the Queensland Audit Office, the Invasive Species Council is calling on the Queensland government to prioritise an urgent boost to funding for invasive species action to protect wildlife and the environment.
The call comes in response to an independent review of invasive species action in Queensland by the Queensland Audit Office which found that the risk and cost of invasive species was rising but that the level of response, prioritisation and strategic leadership is inadequate to the task.
‘This highly critical report should be a wake-up call for the Queensland government. Invasive species action in Queensland has been ad-hoc and underfunded for too long and this is costing our wildlife, environment and economy,’ said Invasive Species Council fire ant campaigner Reece Pianta.
‘With a state election next year, Queenslanders will be looking for parties to increase their ambition for invasive species action.
‘A big boost to baseline funding is needed, along with urgent institutional changes to ensure basics like the prioritisation of risks and adequate reporting on outcomes are routine parts of the biosecurity system at all levels.
‘The Audit Office also made a number of important recommendations about the need for increased enforcement and a greater focus on outcomes.
‘This report should drive a rapid scale-up of our ambition and focus to restore our incredible environment which is being degraded by invasive species like fire ants, feral cats and transformative weeds like lantana,’ said Mr Pianta.
Feral cats need further focus
The Audit Office report also found that efforts for feral cat management in Queensland are highly localised and ineffective, with no statewide strategy to manage one of the biggest threats to wildlife in the state.
‘As one of the greatest threats to native wildlife in Queensland, the development of a statewide feral cat management strategy needs to be a priority,’ said Mr Pianta.
‘Cats kill more than 2 billion animals across Australia every year and have already played a major role in at least 25 Australian mammal extinctions,’ he said.
D-day approaching for fire ants response
The Audit Office report also raises concerns about the current red fire ant outbreak in Queensland and the impact of any further delays to the Commonwealth and state governments increasing funding for eradication efforts.
‘It is clear from this report that any further delay to ramping up the funding for fire ant eradication will doom Queensland and Australia to failure. This would be devastating for wildlife, agriculture and tourism across the entire country,’ said Mr Pianta.
‘A fire ant invasion will be much worse than the cane toad. They will devastate our native wildlife and cause billions of dollars in lost agricultural production every year.
‘Next week, federal agriculture minister Murray Watt will be meeting with his state and territory counterparts in Perth to decide where to next for fire ants funding.
‘This is D-Day. With Labor in power everywhere on the mainland, the ball is now firmly in Murray Watt and Labor’s court.
‘We need a firm commitment to eradication and new funds flowing before the end of this year or they will be forever remembered as the government that gave up and caused an ecological catastrophe.
‘The cost of eradication is a tiny fraction of the cost of failure’, concluded Mr Pianta.