Labor fails to act on red imported fire ant Senate inquiry recommendations

Angie Bell MP
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education
Shadow Minister for Youth
Federal Member for Moncrieff

MEDIA RELEASE

Labor fails to act on red imported fire ant Senate inquiry recommendations

20 August 2024

Labor has wasted four months by failing to act on key Senate inquiry recommendations into Red imported fire ants in Australia – ‘don’t let this come back to bite us’.

By not acting, the Albanese Government has allowed the eradication zone to explode in size, further north into Burpengary East, west into Mount Sylvia, south into Tallebudgera Valley, as well as outlier areas, as far as Oakey near Toowoomba and Currimundi near Caloundra Airport.

Federal Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell said not eradicating fire ants puts every Australian’s way of life at risk on the Gold Coast and the issue has not been taken seriously by Labor after a crucial inquiry.

“Labor has failed to implement or act on key recommendations given in the Senate inquiry’s final report back in April,” Ms Bell said.

“Critically, the first recommendation was that the Australian Government review the current level of funding with state governments. Labor hasn’t bothered responding, investigating or acting on this recommendation.

“Four whole months have passed and Labor continues to ignore these recommendations, including calls to investigate alternative models for delivery of the eradication program to improve independence, and transparency, improve public engagement and improve the delivery of the eradication program – delivered by the Queensland Labor Government.”

The Senate Committee also identified the urgent need to increase stakeholder engagement and community education to assist the long-term eradication goal.

“The community deserves answers and reassurance the funding is enough, and the Queensland Labor Government is delivering its eradication program in an effective and timely manner,” Ms Bell said.

“Communities are being left in the dark. Labor has sat on its hands and refused to act and major concerns in the Gold Coast community are not being addressed about the eradication program.”

Federal Member for Moncrieff, Angie Bell said the Coalition warned many times last year that Labor’s $268 million over four years in federal funding to eradicate fire ants risked not being enough.

“The National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program strategic review also estimated that at least $200 to $300 million per year was required,” said Ms Bell.

“Labor’s funding was needed urgently in early 2023, but was delayed until the end of 2023, which put the time-critical response at risk.

“The Coalition has long been warning the spread of fire ants will cost our economy $2 billion annually and it’s obvious that funding was never going to be enough.”

The Invasive Species Council previously warned red imported fire ants were at risk of spreading beyond current containment zones and that parks, school playgrounds and beaches were being impacted due to fire ants. Red imported fire ants also kill native species and are harmful to humans.

This lack of action and delays in funding undermined previous work that had been done under the Coalition Government to control fire ants.

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