Biosecurity review launched after deadly fire ants found in Sydney

A nationwide review of biosecurity measures will target how a colony of deadly fire ants avoided detection before being found at a Sydney shipping facility.

Fire ants, which are considered a pest in Australia, were first found at the Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre in Sydney’s Inner West on October 13, and are believed to have arrived overseas via a shipping container.

A statement announcing the review said there would be an interim review on the fire ant discovery in Sydney.

“Using the incursion as a case study, the interim report will examine the management of biosecurity risk at approved arrangement sites,” the statement continued.

The Invasive Species Council said current standards did not match the “biological reality” of fire ants.

Protocols at high-risk facilities are required once a year, and at medium-risk facilities, such as Enfield, it is once every three years.

However, the council claims fire ants can reach reproductive maturity in half that time, meaning there is the risk of an infestation being able to begin between checks.

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“At Enfield, a mature fire ant nest may have been present for 12 months or more, despite the site being compliant with Commonwealth requirements,” council advocacy director Reece Pianta said on Wednesday.

”What happened at Enfield raised serious questions about whether Australia’s biosecurity surveillance arrangements are fit for purpose.”

Fire ants, as well as being an invasive species, can also be deadly to animals and even humans.

Fire ants have a painful bite, which can cause anaphylaxis in serious cases.

They would also have a severe impact on Australia’s agricultural sector and environment if they were to spread out of control.

Fire ants have been found in all Australian states previously, and there has been a recent outbreak in south-east Queensland.

Experts say at least $300 million a year is required to help protect Australia from fire ant infestations.

While 95 per cent of the country has suitable conditions for a fire ant infestation, funding for the fire ant eradication program will run out in the middle of 2027.

Pianta said that while it was positive that the recent breach was discovered and curbed quickly, it highlighted the risk fire ants pose.

“We cannot afford for weaknesses at our borders and freight gateways to give fire ants another pathway into Queensland or allow new incursions to establish elsewhere in Australia,” Pianta said.

“When a breach exposes a potential weakness in our defences, we need to learn from it quickly and fix the system rather than wait for the next invasive species to slip through.”