Chapter 1
Context
Referral of the inquiry
1.1On 18 October 2023, the following matters were referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committees (the committee) for inquiry and report by 18 April 2024:
(a)the expected costs and impacts, if red imported fire ants are able to spread across Australia, on human health, social amenity, agriculture, the environment, infrastructure and regional workers;
(b)an assessment of the current and any proposed fire ant response plans for achieving the eradication of red imported fire ants;
(c)an evaluation of funding provided for the current or any proposed fire ant response plans;
(d)the effectiveness of eradication efforts and the spread of fire ants;
(e)learnings of Varroa mite in managing red imported fire ants; and
(f)any other related matters.
Conduct of the inquiry
1.2The committee advertised the inquiry on its website and invited submissions from relevant stakeholders, including community and nature organisations, industry associations, independent researchers, federal and state government departments and agencies, local governments, businesses, and universities and institutes. Details regarding the inquiry are available on the committee’s website.
1.3Submissions closed on 29 January 2024 following a committee decision in November 2023 to extend the closing date from the previously agreed date of 1December 2023.
1.4The inquiry received 72 submissions and approximately 595 form letters relating to the funding and eradication of red imported fire ants (RIFA) which can be found on the committee’s website.
1.5The committee has held three hearings for this inquiry in the following locations:
4 March 2024, Brisbane, Queensland—this hearing focused on understanding the impacts and costs of RIFA in Australia and the actions, taken to date and those that are planned, to reach eradication.
5 March 2024, Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW) —this hearing focused on RIFA impacts in other regions and understanding what learnings can be taken from the Varroa mite incursion and applied to RIFA; and
18 March 2024, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory —this hearing also focused on understanding actions taken to date to eradicate RIFA in Australia and the governance and oversight arrangements.
Structure of the report
1.6The report addresses the terms of reference and is structured in four chapters:
Chapter 1—an introduction to the inquiry and its conduct, the structure of this interim report and background on RIFA, and context of their existence in Australia to date.
Chapter 2—the broad approach to RIFA incursions in Australia, including the South East Queensland (SEQ) outbreak and identified issues including the lack of external governance, transparency, and funding levels.
Chapter 3—the operation and management of the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and the SEQ outbreak including baiting, surveillance, and methodology.
Chapter 4—movement restrictions, community engagement, and learnings from the Varroa mite incursion and how they can be applied to RIFA.
Acknowledgments
1.7The committee thanks all contributors to the inquiry including those individuals and organisations who submitted to the inquiry and gave evidence at the public hearings. The committee also acknowledges the participation of the NewSouthWales and Queensland Governments and their officers in the inquiry.
1.8The committee acknowledges that Australia’s response to RIFA is long-standing and has undergone several changes over its life cycle and will continue to do so in its future. It is understood, based on evidence provided, that the national program is in a state of transition at the time of writing. While every effort has been made to reflect information accurately, it is important to note that this report depicts a point in time, and some of the content may change following publication.
Red imported fire ant key facts
1.9RIFA (Solenopsis invicta Buren) are small ants that twotoeight millimetres in size with a coppery/reddish brown body colour and darker abdomen, that are hard to distinguish from common, native ants. The nests often have no visible entry holes, and young ants often start out as indistinct or appear to resemble soil. RIFA nests may be found next to or under other objects on the ground, such as timber, logs, rocks, pavers, or bricks.
1.10The image below provides a visual representation of RIFA.
Figure 1.1Red imported fire ant
Source: WA DPIRD, Red imported fire ant, 21 October 2023, (accessed 15 December 2023).
1.11RIFA are native to South America and have spread to the United States, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia.
1.12In endemic areas, up to 600 RIFA colonies per acre have been identified. RIFA are often found near human activity and communities which increases the likelihood of encounters and stings.
1.13RIFA colonies contain 200 000 to 400 000 workers. There are two forms—colonies with a single egg-laying queen (monogyne) and those with multiple reproductive queens (polygyne). These different forms also require different methods for destroying and eradicating the colonies.
1.14Polygyne colonies (sometimes with several hundred queens) reach higher densities than single-queen colonies—up to 50 million ants per hectare. They mostly spread by budding—that is, a new queen mates within the nest and then establishes a new nest close by. In the monogyne form, the virgin queens and male ants mate in the air. Queens have been reported flying as far as 30km to build a new nest.
1.15RIFA are very aggressive when their nests are disturbed and can cause injury or, in extreme situations, death to humans, pets, insects and livestock in the areas they infest.
1.16RIFA impact the environment and industries and can restrict everyday activities such as barbeques, picnics, and sporting events. RIFA can also cause extensive damage to ecological and agricultural systems.
1.17Successful eradication requires detecting all ant colonies as early as possible, destroying the colonies, and preventing the spread to new areas via the movement of soil, mulch, pot plants and fodder.
1.18Fire ant eradication comprises of containment which isextensive surveillance activities on targeted properties around the fringe of the infestation, and broadscale treatment on targeted properties in the eradication area. This includes up to six rounds of broadscale treatment over two years, followed by five years of intensive surveillance—each using aerial and ground methods.
Human, animal and livestock health and economic impacts
1.19Stings from RIFA can cause a painful, burning, itching sensation lasting up to one hour and multiple stings give a sensation that the body is on fire. Multiple stings from RIFA often occur as they move quickly, allowing large numbers to move onto humans before they are detected. The figure below demonstrates some of the major human health impacts caused by RIFA stings.
Figure 1.2Potential human health impacts of red imported fire ants
Source: National Allergy Centre of Excellence and Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia, Submission 13, p. [4]. Footnotes in image relate to original references.
1.20Small pustules may form at sting sites several hours after stinging and may become itchy and infected. In rare cases, RIFA stings can lead to a severe and sometimes fatal allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
1.21In the United States, 30 to 60 per cent of people in infested areas are stung each year. Figure 1.3 below shows a RIFA sting with white pustules.
Figure 1.3Pustules from a red imported fire ant sting
Source: Invasive Species Council, Fact Sheet: Red Fire Ants, September 2023, p. 4.
1.22RIFA are expected to have a $2 billion per year impact on Australia’s economy if not kept under control and eventually eradicated. RIFA could also reduce agricultural output by up to 40 per cent and may cause over 100 000 extra medical appointments each year.
1.23More than 50 agricultural and horticultural crops, as well as turf and nursery species, are affected by RIFA in the areas they inhabit. They can damage and kill some plants by tunnelling through roots and stems and they protect some species of pests that produce 'honeydew', which downgrades the quality of produce and helps spread diseases.
1.24Infestations in the United States have been reported to cause a 35 per cent reduction in potato yield in Florida, and a 65 per cent reduction in corn yield in Mississippi.
1.25Many animals and livestock that spend time outdoors are at risk of RIFA stings. They tend to swarm the faces of animals which often investigate nests nose-first. Additionally, as many pets and most livestock are fed outside, this increases the risk of stings, as RIFA are drawn to protein-rich foods in and around pet bowls and available food sources.
1.26RIFA are extremely resilient and have adapted to contend with both flooding and drought conditions. This means they have the potential to inhabit most areas of Australia, as they prefer the warm climate and habitat of Australia. Figure 1.4 below shows the areas of Australia in which RIFA could become endemic if their spread is not contained.
Figure 1.4Areas of Australia vulnerable to RIFA invasion
Source: NFAEP, Environmental Impacts, undated, (accessed 3 January 2024).
1.27RIFA’s ability to spread across the majority of Australia if not contained could have disastrous consequences for Australia’s environment and economic output.
1.28RIFA can affect the environment as they feed on fauna and their young including insects, spiders, lizards, frogs, birds, and mammals and can displace or eliminate some native species. They can eat and damage seeds, disturb insects that pollinate native plants and attack bird species that have ground-based feeding habits. Species that occupy areas within one-metre above ground may also be at risk. These impacts could cause major ecosystem changes over time.
1.29An assessment of RIFA’s likely impact on 123 animals in SEQ predicted population declines in approximately 45 per cent of birds, 38per cent of mammals, 69 per cent of reptiles and 95 per cent of frogs.
RIFA in Australia
1.30RIFA was first detected in Australia in February 2001; however, there is widespread speculation that RIFA first arrived in Australia in the early 1990s. Infestations were found in SEQ at the Port of Brisbane and in southwestern suburbs. It is likely that they entered Australia in shipping containers from America, however, this has not been confirmed.
1.31Seven RIFA infestations in Australia have been eradicated with one remaining infestation in SEQ that recently spread across the NSW border to Murwillumbah in November 2023, and to Wardell in January 2024.
1.32The other infestations have included Yarwun in Gladstone, the Port of Gladstone, Port Botany in Sydney, Brisbane Airport, the Port of Brisbane (2016) and the Port of Fremantle.
1.33Infestations in other locations across the country including Minjerribah, Carrara and Fremantle were introduced via freight movement.
1.34In 2001, the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council established the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program led by the Queensland Government. The program was funded through a national cost-shared agreement with states and territories, costing approximately $366 million to 2017.
1.35In July 2017, the national Agriculture Ministers’ Forum approved a continued eradication program with funding of $411.4 million over 10 years to be paid at $41.14 million per year to implement the ‘10-year plan’ which intended to deliver an expanded National Fire Ant Eradication Program (NFAEP) from 2018 to 2027. Funding breakdowns for the 2018–27 plan by state and territory are listed below in Figure 1.5:
Figure 1.5National Fire Ant Eradication Program funding contributions
Source: Dr Helen Scott-Orr, Monica Gruber and Will Zacharin, National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program Strategic Review, August 2021.
1.36On 13 July 2023, the Australian Government announced that cost-share partners agreed to bring forward their remaining 10-year plan funding to 2023–24 to allow work for eradication to be completed earlier.
1.37On 25 July 2023, the Queensland Government announced all jurisdictions supported a new 2023–2027 Response Plan focussing on strengthening containment and compliance, and intensifying program-led and community treatment using a systematic, outside-in approach over four years. This plan required a budget of $593 million, including the funds bought forward from 2018–27. At the time of writing, this plan has not been publicly provided.
Current SEQ and NSW outbreak
1.38The original 2001 infestation in Brisbane has been progressively expanding, recently to the coastal island of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke), Morayfield/Burpengary, and toward and beyond the NSW border. The infestation has both monogyne and polygyne colonies and ants.
1.39High-risk materials including soil, hay, mulch, manure, quarry products, turf and potted plants are subject to legally enforced movement controls out of the biosecurity zones where RIFA infestations have been present. A map of the current biosecurity zones, as of 11 March 2024 is below at Figure 1.6.
Figure 1.6Queensland biosecurity zones for the RIFA incursion
Source: NFAEP, Fire ant biosecurity zones, undated, (accessed 4 April 2024)
1.40The November 2023 detection in Murwillumbah was the first detection in northern NSW and the most southern infestation as part of the NFAEP until the Wardell detection on 19 January 2024 near Ballina.
1.41The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) is the lead agency working to contain the infestations in NSW. NSW DPI is chemically treating the infestation across 200 metre and 500 metre radiuses, including searching all properties within the control area. This is an agreed activity under the NFAEP that aims to control, trace, and eradicate.
1.42Within a five kilometre radius of any outbreaks, certain restrictions apply to the movement of risk material such as: mulch, woodchips, compost, sand, gravel, soil, hay, baled products, agricultural equipment, earth moving equipment, dump trucks and bins. If these products are to be moved, residents and businesses must meet the requirements under NSW’s Emergency Order.
1.43Fire ant eradication involves treating all targeted properties that sit within a 10kilometre radius of an infestation, between September and June each year, regardless of RIFA presence. Eradication treatment is delivered by officers on‑foot with hand-held spreaders, in addition to aerial baiting and utility-terrain vehicles. Treatment is also weather dependent and is particularly limited by rain.
1.44Distributing bait by helicopter is the quickest and most cost-efficient way to treat RIFA on larger properties. Before treatment, residents are informed, and each site is assessed to consider crops, livestock, and water sources. Sites not suitable for treatment by helicopter will be treated using handheld bait spreaders and/or vehicles. Pilots and on-ground staff observe behaviour of horses, cattle, and other livestock. If issues arise, they will fly the helicopter away from the area.
1.45Two types of RIFA treatment are approved for use by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) – baits, and direct nest injection (DNI). DNI is used only by the NFAEP and pest control technicians, whereas baits can also be used by residents and businesses. Both treatments have different purposes and instructions, and are safe for humans, pets, and wildlife.
1.46DNI involves flooding fire ant nests and ant tunnels with an approved insecticide called fipronil and is often used when there is a risk to human or animal safety, or where nests need to be quickly destroyed. The area around a DNI site cannot be entered within 24 hours of application.
1.47There are also two types of baits approved by APVMA: a fast‑acting insecticide containing indoxacarb or a combination of hydramethylnon and pyriproxyfen, and an insect growth regulator (IGR) containing s‑methoprene or pyriproxyfen.
1.48After ingesting the fast-acting insecticide, the worker ants circulate the active ingredients around the colony, leading to death of the worker ants, larvae, and the queen ant across one to four weeks.
1.49The IGR process is often used for properties and nests within known RIFA areas and works by sterilising the queen ant and preventing new ants from maturing into adults. After the last adult worker ants have died, the queen is effectively starved as there are no ants left to feed her and the nest will naturally die.This process takes between three to four months.
1.50Baits are specifically targeted to kill ants. After the bait is distributed, it breaks down quickly. While the bait is safe for humans and pets, it is recommended that free-range poultry is contained during treatment. The waiting period for re‑entry of organic and bio-dynamic products treated with IGRis three weeks.
1.51The NFAEP uses three types of surveillance to monitor and detect RIFA using trained field officers, odour detection dogs and aircraft with specialist technology, such as remote sensing. Types of surveillance include:
Clearance surveillance—conducted mainly by air on targeted sites within zones for the purpose of detecting any remaining infestation.
Post-treatment validation—repeated in treated areas to determine success.
Outbreak control—a response to infestations in the containment boundary and outside the operational area.
1.52Under the new 2023–2027 Response Plan, the NFAEP shifted to focus on a three‑step process of contain, eradicate, and suppress, also described as the ‘horseshoe plan’. The plan will focus on containing and surveying the spread of ants spanning from Moreton Bay in the north, west to the Lockyer Valley, east to the Gold Coast, and south to the Tweed Shire, and progressively performing eradication treatment in from these areas one at a time. The map below shows the proposed treatment and surveillance areas.
Figure 1.7Fire Ant 2023–2027 Response Plan treatment areas
Source: NFAEP, Fire Ant Response Plan 2023–27, undated, (accessed 22 January 2024). A higher resolution image is available at the source.
1.53The first areas to receive eradication treatment in 2023–24 are suburbs in the Cityof Gold Coast, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, and Southern Downs local government areas.
1.54Detections within containment and treatment bands, or outside the infestation boundary, are priority, along with infestationsthat risk public safety—schools, childcare centres, parks, and sporting fields.Anyoutbreaksfound beyond the containment boundary will be treated as an emergency response and will receiveeradication treatment.
1.55The Queensland Government’s Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce (FAST) works alongside the NFAEP, focusing on equipping all levels of government, industry and communities in areas awaiting planned treatment with the skills and knowledge to self-manage fire ants on land they own or manage.
1.56In the absence of eradication and suppression activities, forecasting indicated that RIFA would have spread to more than 20 per cent of the Australian mainland by 2021, as illustrated in Figure 1.8. RIFA would have likely reached Canberra and spread to most capital cities by movement in carrier materials.
Figure 1.8Potential spread from 2001-2002 without eradication efforts
Source: Source: NFAEP, ‘Annual Performance Report 2020–21’, p. 4.
Past outbreaks and successful eradication responses
Port of Brisbane, Queensland
1.57In 2001, RIFA was introduced to Australia through the Port of Brisbane. There were 470 known colonies spread over 8300 hectares, before being fire ant free in 2005 and declared eradicated in 2012.
1.58In 2016, at least one colony that was genetically distinct was discovered in the Port of Brisbane before being eradicated in 2019.
Port Botany, Sydney, NSW
1.59One colony was detected in Port Botany, Sydney, in 2014. By 2016, RIFA were successfully eradicated in this area.
Yarwun Gladstone and Port of Gladstone, Queensland
1.60In 2006, 14 known colonies and 100 possible colonies were present in Yarwun, across more than 1000 hectares. Through treatment, this outbreak was controlled shortly after in 2007 and was declared eradicated in 2010.
1.61In 2013, RIFA were detected at the Port of Gladstone. In total, there were 80known colonies spread over 4600 hectares, with eradication declared three years later in 2016.
Brisbane Airport
1.62In 2016, an additional colony that was also determined to be genetically distinct was discovered in Brisbane, at the Brisbane Airport. This outbreak was eradicated in 2019.
Port of Fremantle, Western Australia
1.63RIFA was detected at Fremantle port in Western Australia (WA) in November2019 as part of surveillance being undertaken for the National Browsing Ant Eradication Program. The WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development led the response, resulting in a successful biosecurity eradication. The eradication of RIFA in WA was declared by the National Biosecurity Management Group in October 2023.
1.64Response activities in WA involved a two-year surveillance and treatment program. This included six rounds of visual surveillance involving hand collection, lures, pitfall traps, and the use of specifically trained odour detection dogs from Queensland.
1.65More than 3500 premises, including container and ferry terminals, industrial properties, fishing wharves, parks and recreational spaces, and residential properties were inspected multiple times as part of the response, with over 14000 samples collected for identification.
Varroa destructor (varroa mite) incursion
1.66The Varroa destructor (varroa mite) is an external parasitic mite that attacks European honey bees and the Asian honey bee. Australian native bees are not affected by varroa mite. The varroa mite attaches itself to the bee and feeds on them, weaking them and eventually killing colonies. European honey bees infested with varroa are likely to die within 3 to 4 years if left untreated.
1.67On 22 June 2022 during routine surveillance at the Port of Newcastle, varroa mite was detected in sentinel hives in NSW. NSW DPI traced the centre of the outbreak further away from the port, within the Newcastle area, and enacted an emergency order.
1.68Initially, the response plan was to eradicate varroa mite. As part of this plan, no bees, honey, honeycomb, or beekeeping equipment could be moved anywhere in NSW, and no honey or honeycomb removed from hives. Eradication plans included destruction of honeybee colonies within a 10 kilometre eradication zone around infested sites and inspection of managed honeybee colonies within a 25 kilometre surveillance zone. Feral honeybee hives were also planned to be eradicated.
1.69Eradication required beekeepers to complete hive testing (alcohol washing) on their hives every 16 weeks and report any positive results to NSW DPI on the day of testing. Beekeepers in the eradication zone were required to make their bees and hives available for destruction or euthanasia or to undertake this themselves if directed.
1.70Fipronil baiting was also undertaken by NSW DPI officers on premises with the varroa mite eradication zone to remove feral and wild bees.
1.71On 19 September 2023, decision makers for the national varroa mite emergency response declared that eradication of varroa mite was no longer achievable. As such, there was a shift of focus from eradication to transitioning to management activities.
1.72The aim of the transition to management program is said to increase resilience and capacity within the Australian honey bee industry and minimise the ongoing impacts of varroa mite growth on the bee industry and pollination reliant industries.
1.73The varroa mite is now considered a Category 2 Emergency Plant Pest (EPP) under the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD).