CSTPage 14 MAY 22 2011

thesundaymail.com.au14 NEWS thesundaymail.com.auSPECIAL INVESTIGATION

Pay up or fire ants

For a full list of affected suburbs go to www.thesundaymail.com.au

Brisbane

Slacks Creek

Oxley

Boondall

Greenbank

Lanefi eldIpswich

Thornlands

SNAPSHOT OF FIRE ANT TREATMENT AREA

State calls formore cash asprogram stallsKelmeny Fraser andDavid Murray

THE war against deadly fireants could be lost amid claimsthe $250 million program toeradicate the pest has beenbadly mismanaged.

Scientists say mishandlingof the program has sparkedwidespread ‘‘cynicism’’ aboutQueensland’s claims to havethe problem under control.

They are demanding anindependent review before anational disaster develops.

Efforts to wipe out the pesthave descended into a blamegame, with Queensland Agri-culture Minister TimMulherin accusing the FederalGovernment of putting nat-ional biosecurity at riskthrough years of inadequatefunding of the state’s eradi-cation program.

The State Government haswarned the $15 million beinginjected into the problem eachyear might not be enough tostop the species invading otherstates and potentially causingbillions of dollars damage tothe national economy.

‘‘Queensland does not be-lieve $15 million is sufficient tofund a fire-ant eradicationprogram,’’ Mr Mulherin said.

‘‘We need a stronger on-going funding commitmentfrom all states and the Com-monwealth to continue theeradication program inQueensland so that we don’tsee fire ants marching intoNSW and Victoria,’’ he said.

Federal Agriculture Minis-ter Joe Ludwig said Canberrahad provided half the$245 million spent on the fire-ant program since 2001.

‘‘The Gillard Government

takes any potential threat toAustralia’s biosecurityseriously,’’ he said.

Queensland receives$15 million a year under nat-ional funding arrangements tocombat fire ants, with theBligh Government injectingan extra $6 million this year.

The stoush has hit a crucialpoint following the discoveryof hundreds of new infes-tations in Brisbane’s southwestsince 2010.

Members of the NationalManagement Group – the keydecision-making body on fireants – will meet next month toconsider ‘‘further advice onthe program’’.

The meeting could deter-mine the future direction andfunding for the fire-ant pro-gram, with the group respon-sible for deciding on the bestcombat method.

A Campbell Newman-ledLNP government has pledged

an independent review of theprogram amid claims the BlighGovernment has overstated itsachievements.

LNP agriculture spokesmanAndrew Cripps said the gov-ernment ‘‘does not appear tobe making substantial head-way’’. ‘‘We definitely need tohave a good solid look at whythe response is not beingeffective,’’ he said.

Former top government ad-viser on fire ants Pam

Swepson, who became awhistleblower, said thecountry would pay the pricefor government bungles andcover-ups.

‘‘We are yet to have a deathin Queensland but it’s just amatter of time,’’ she said.

Dr Swepson said the extentof the fire-ant infestation inQueensland has been coveredup to stop the Federal Govern-ment pulling funding.

‘‘While they (the State Gov-

ernment) were continuing tocall it an eradication program,even though it was extremelycompromised and there’s nochance we can eradicate it anymore, the funding kept comingwhich would give them reasonfor under-reporting,’’ she said.

Experts in the US, wherepeople die from fire-ant stingsevery year, say the state haslittle chance of eradication.

Fire-ant expert Dr BartDrees, from Texas, where

FIRE-ANT FACTS■ Restrictions cover almost100,000ha of southeastQueensland

■ 307 infested sites foundthis financial year across 95suburbs

■ 47 per cent of new fire-antsites are in the Ipswich area.

■ Incursion points traced toGladstone, Port of Brisbaneand southwest Brisbane.

■ $21 million spent on fire-antcontrol this financial year.

■ 191 staff working on fire-ant program

■ Efforts concentrated on Loganand Ipswich regions.

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