14 Oct 2019

Spikes in fire ant infestations in Logan city and the Scenic Rim because Biosecurity Queensland chronically under-treats them: even with $411m. Time for a Royal Commission.

Biosecurity Queensland has continually watered down its treatment regime: from twelve rounds of bait over three years, to just six rounds over two years, with no evidence that regime works. And they can’t even deliver on that. Under-treating fire ants does not kill them. It gives them the chance to spread. Between 2001-2016, the fire ant inf...

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08 Oct 2019

Biosecurity Queensland dumps the costs of finding, killing and containing fire ants onto the public, but keep $42.5m annual national funding. Why? Time for a Royal Commission.

The National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program is an utter failure. It has cost $500m so far. The infestation is more than twelve times what it was when fire ants were first detected in south-east Queensland in 2001. Biosecurity Queensland has dumped the costs and responsibilities for finding fire ants, killing fire ants and containing ...

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15 Sep 2019

Biosecurity Qld Fire Ant Program Science Manager admits what he has known since 2001: not possible to eradicate fire ants from SEQ: a lot to answer for. Time for a Royal Commission.

As Chair of the Fire Ant Program Scientific Advisory Panel in 2001, Dr Wylie knows that local and USA expert said the fire ant infestation in south-east Queensland was too entrenched to eradicate and said an aggressive containment and suppression program was the best and cheapest option. Dr Wylie knows that then Minister for Primary Industries, ...

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