The Invasive Species Council has expressed serious concern following the detection of multiple new fire ant nests at Oakey, 29 km west of Toowoomba in Queensland. The new find, which is within the Murray-Darling Basin catchment, makes a rapid-fire ant funding review by Prime Minister Albanese urgent and essential.
‘This new detection outside the fire ant eradication zone and within the Murray-Darling Basin catchment should mean alarm bells are ringing loudly in the Prime Minister’s office.’ said Reece Pianta, Advocacy Manager for the Invasive Species Council.
‘The government must spare no expense in responding to this outbreak and the whole community should treat this very, very seriously.’
‘While we have full confidence in the National Eradication Program’s response to this outbreak, we are very worried that not enough money is being spent by governments on the fire ant invasion.’
‘In recent months we have had new fire ant detections in New South Wales, at Caboolture north of Brisbane and now west of the Great Dividing Range at Oakey.
‘These are all taking vital resources away from the main eradication effort. It is now undeniable that there is not enough money to get the eradication job done.
‘Just yesterday the Australian Senate called for a rapid review of program funding after damning evidence from expert witnesses about limited funding, slow decision-making and unnecessary secrecy.
‘There is no excuse for inaction. The Albanese government must conduct an urgent review of fire ant eradication funding.
‘Eradication remains possible, but right now we are losing the war against fire ants,’ Mr Pianta said.
The National Fire Ant Eradication Program has advised that a community member found and reported multiple nests on the Oakey property on 16 April 2024. The nests have been destroyed using liquid insecticide and intensive surveillance activities are underway.
‘Everyone in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales should be out checking for fire ants, particularly if you have had any recent material delivered to your property like soil, turf or mulch,’ said Mr Pianta.
‘Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests and, if they are allowed to spread across the continent, their economic impact will be greater than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined.
‘They will devastate Australia’s environment and agriculture, cost our economy billions annually and we could see up to 650,000 extra medical visits every year as they sting Australians at the park or in the backyard.’
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Images, maps and other fire ant multimedia to accompany this story are available here.
Map of new fire ant detection, west of Toowoomba at Oakey, Queensland

Background Information
- The new nests are located at the very tip of the Murray Darling River basin at Oakey, west of the Great Dividing Range posing a threat to inland Australia.
- Fire ants can spread by forming rafts and floating on floodwaters to new locations, through flying queens and by transport in freight.
- Genetic testing will confirm in the coming week if they are linked to the current Brisbane outbreak and if they are likely to have spread by flying queens.
- The Australian Senate recently released a report titled ‘Red imported fire ants in Australia: Don’t let this come back to bite us’ containing 10 recommendations which received unanimous support from the cross-party Senate committee. The report call for:
- An alternative independent agency or commission for fire ant eradication program delivery.
- A rapid review of current funding to ensure it is sufficient and uninterrupted to get the job done.
- Greater eradication program transparency and a public awareness campaign.
- An increased investment in research on emerging fire ant eradication techniques.
- More resources for public self-treatment of fire ants in the infestation zone and increased
- Fire ants can damage electrical and agricultural equipment, sting people, pets and livestock, kill native plants and animals, and damage ecosystems beyond repair.
- Those who breach the emergency biosecurity order could face significant penalties with fines for breaches reaching up to $1.1 million for an individual and up to $2.2 million for a corporation.
- A ten-year eradication program has been developed, with $593 million required in the first 4 years.
- The 2021 National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program strategic review estimated that at least $200 to $300 million per year will be required for ongoing eradication efforts to achieve eradication by 2032.
- Fire ants can be lethal to humans, are expected to have a $2 billion per year impact on Australia’s economy if they get out of control, will devastate wildlife, cut agricultural output by up to 40% and may cause up to 650,000 extra medical appointments each year.
- Fire ants can form rafts during flood events, stowaway in freight or soil, or spread by Queen ant flights of around 5 km per year (and up to 30 km in favourable conditions).
- Fire ants came into Australia in the late 90s in freight from the United States, they were found in 2001. Fire ants are originally from South America.
- Fire ants have spread across most of the southern United States, and are spreading in China at a rate of about 80 km per year. Australia has managed to contain fire ants in south east Queensland since 2001 however under-resourcing has prevented successful eradication.