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Darren Chester warns Sydney fire ant detection highlights biosecurity risks and urges swift action, surveillance and guaranteed eradication funding beyond 2027Darren Chester has urged swift, coordinated action after red imported fire ants were detected in Sydney, warning of risks to agriculture and calling for stronger surveillance and guaranteed eradication funding beyond June 2027. By news@gippsland - 13th October 2026 - Back to News The detection of red imported fire ants at a freight facility in Sydney's inner west is a serious warning about the threat invasive pests pose to Australian agriculture, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Darren Chester said today. 
Darren Chester warned red imported fire ants found at Sydney’s Enfield freight facility highlight biosecurity risks, as authorities investigate their overseas origin and potential spread Sydney fire ant detectionA nest was found outside a shipping container at the Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre on 25 September and has been destroyed. New South Wales authorities believe the ants arrived in a container from overseas. Surveillance and tracing work is continuing in case they have spread. "Red imported fire ants are one of the most destructive invasive pests in the world. They damage crops and pastures, kill newborn livestock, and put people, pets and wildlife at risk. We can't afford to be complacent. Our farmers already carry the cost of invasive pests and weeds. The last thing they need is another one becoming established." "Early detection gives us the best chance of stopping fire ants, and they have been wiped out at Port Botany before. But detection is only the first step. We need a swift, coordinated response from the Commonwealth and the New South Wales state government, with thorough surveillance and tracing, to make sure any further nests are found and destroyed," said Mr Chester Strengthening fire ant biosecurityMr Chester said, "Tens of thousands of containers move through that site. Australians deserve to know where they went, how these ants got in, and whether there are weaknesses in the systems meant to keep them out. The government says this is the system working as it should. Detection is a good thing, but the nest was not brand new when it was found. We need to be sure border surveillance is catching these pests sooner." "The National Fire Ant Eradication Program funding is due to expire in June 2027 and the next phase hasn't been secured. It would be reckless to let uncertainty over funding undermine years of eradication work, especially with a new incursion now detected in Sydney." "The cost of fire ants becoming established across Australia would far outweigh the cost of eradicating them now. The Albanese government must work with the states and territories to guarantee funding beyond June 2027. Biosecurity doesn't stop at state borders. Governments can't become complacent when it comes to protecting agriculture, the environment and regional communities," he said. Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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