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Fire ants are an environmental and national disaster.
These tiny killers first turned up in Australia at the northern port of Brisbane, but have since made it into the Murray Darling Basin catchment and charged the border into New South Wales. They were even intercepted in Tasmania and Victoria.
Each nest cluster contains hundreds of thousands of fire ants that swarm and kill native wildlife. Current predictions estimate that 45% of birds, 38% of mammals, 69% of reptiles and 95% of frog populations in SE Qld alone could plummet if we don’t stop their spread. With a sting three ...
Fire ants are an environmental and national disaster.
These tiny killers first turned up in Australia at the northern port of Brisbane, but have since made it into the Murray Darling Basin catchment and charged the border into New South Wales. They were even intercepted in Tasmania and Victoria.
Each nest cluster contains hundreds of thousands of fire ants that swarm and kill native wildlife. Current predictions estimate that 45% of birds, 38% of mammals, 69% of reptiles and 95% of frog populations in SE Qld alone could plummet if we don’t stop their spread. With a sting three times more venomous than Australia’s native stinging insects, new infestations plague communities, closing local parks, beaches, gardens and sporting fields.
This national emergency needs an emergency response.
To win urgent government action, we need to show the federal government that effective fire ant eradication is popular, and demand increased funding.
If not eradicated, the economic impacts of fire ants will be worse than feral cats, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads combined.
Fire ants can be eradicated from Australia. Already, infestations in Perth, Sydney and Gladstone were eradicated. South east Queensland is the biggest infestation and eradication will take a long term funding commitment from every state and the federal government. We need to make sure our vulnerable ground dwelling animals and native hatchlings, like platypuses and short-beaked echidnas are safe from these killers.
If they continue to spread, experts have warned we’ll see around 650,000 medical appointments yearly, and the damage caused will cost our country more than $2 billion yearly, or 2.7% of Australia's GDP. That is half the cost of COVID-19!
If we want to avoid a life sentence with fire ants, scientists say the eradication program must continue for the next decade. Yet the federal and state governments have barely chipped in enough to last until 2027. It's unacceptable.
Please show your support for an emergency response to stop this unfolding disaster. Your action will be one of many that show widespread support for the urgent eradication of fire ants in Australia.
To save our wildlife and way of life from fire ants, we must make it crystal clear to state and federal governments that we demand action. Take action today.