A recent breakout of red imported fire ants has prompted an urgent call to action by the State’s peak farming body.
According to the NSW Govt, Red Imported Fire Ants were discovered in pallets of turf being installed this week on a private property on the North Coast, 53 kilometres from the Queensland border, with the NSW Government announcing in an official statement the NSW Fire Ant Program team located and removed six queens as well as worker ants from turf on the property, after landscape contractors detected and reported the ants at the site.
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said it was yet another critical breach of the state’s biosecurity controls, further endangering lives and livelihoods, with Mr Martin calling on federal and state governments to ensure every resource was available to support eradication efforts to stop the invasive species spreading to regional areas of the state.
NSW Farmers are strongly encouraging people across Australia to remain vigilant for Red Imported Fire Ants and are reminded of their legal responsibility to comply with biosecurity orders, with suspected fire ant sites in NSW to be reported to the NSW Government by calling 1800 680 244.
