By The Good Builder Editorial Team

The Crisafulli Government has announced a major biosecurity push in South East Queensland, delivering free fire ant treatment kits to more than 64,000 households.

Residents in suppression zones across Logan, Ipswich, Redlands, and parts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast can now register for the program, designed to give families the tools to treat their own backyards and stop the spread of one of the world’s most invasive pests.

The initiative, rolled out through the Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce (FAST), is part of a national effort to eradicate fire ants from Australia by 2032. It builds on Queensland’s contribution to the nationally cost-shared program and sits alongside the state’s recent $24 million investment in aerial treatments across large properties.

A New Phase in the Fire Ant Fight

For many Queenslanders, fire ants have become a symbol of the state’s biosecurity challenges. Left unchecked, they threaten agriculture, ecosystems, and even outdoor lifestyles.

“Fire ants are a serious biosecurity threat to our health, environment, economy, and way of life,” said Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett. “That’s why we need as many people as possible to treat their properties.”

According to Perrett, the new household kits are designed to be safe and simple to use. The granular product can be sprinkled across lawns and gardens during the warmer months, with worker ants carrying the bait back to the nest. The treatment ultimately prevents the queen from producing viable offspring, a crucial step in breaking the breeding cycle.

Learning from the Past

The push comes after years of frustration. Independent reviews between 2019 and 2024 delivered damning assessments of the former Labor Government’s handling of the eradication effort, pointing to funding shortfalls, poor governance, and missed opportunities.

During that period, fire ants spread across more than 800,000 hectares, breaching containment lines and making eradication more complex.

The Crisafulli Government has promised a sharper, year-round approach. For the first time, treatment will not be restricted to seasonal windows, with both aerial and household programs working in tandem.

Where and How Kits Will Be Distributed

From the Redlands to Rosewood, registered residents in suppression zones will receive their kits by mail. The process has been designed to be frictionless, with households able to register online or via the 132 ANT hotline.

For residents outside the designated suppression areas, free nest treatment kits remain available upon reporting suspect ants or nests to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

Meanwhile, aerial treatments have already commenced across northern Gold Coast cane-growing districts including Alberton, Gilberton, Jacobs Well, Norwell, Pimpama, Steiglitz and Woongoolba. Crews will then move into Ormeau, Eagleby, the Logan-Albert River catchments, and the Bremer River catchment.

By mid-2026, some 106,000 hectares of the worst-affected land will have been treated twice via helicopter or drone.

Local Government Voices Welcome the Move

The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has long called for increased investment in invasive species control. CEO Alison Smith welcomed the latest announcement.

“Every year Queensland councils call for increased invasive species funding from State and Federal governments, including funding to help manage the threat of Red Imported Fire Ants,” Smith said.

She added that fire ants impose serious economic implications on Queensland farmers, disrupting productivity and adding compliance pressures. “The cost of eradication and restrictions placed on producers can put significant pressure on farming businesses,” she said.

Biosecurity and Beyond

The fight against fire ants is about more than just pest control. The stakes stretch across multiple fronts:

• Agriculture: Fire ants damage crops, machinery, and livestock safety.
• Environment: Native species face displacement, and ecosystems risk collapse where fire ants dominate.
• Economy: A spread into new areas could cost billions in lost productivity and export market restrictions.
• Lifestyle: Outdoor activities from gardening to sporting events are at risk if infestations worsen.

The Crisafulli Government has pitched this latest initiative as a test of community mobilisation. By putting treatment tools directly in the hands of households, it is betting on grassroots participation as the missing link in a decades-long eradication effort.

A Long Road to 2032

The official target for eradication remains 2032, a deadline that aligns with broader national biosecurity strategies. Whether that goal is achievable will depend on the combined impact of household participation, aerial suppression, and improved governance.

For now, the immediate priority is getting treatment kits into yards across the South East. Success will rely on residents following instructions, treating consistently, and reporting nests quickly.

The Good Builder Take

For builders, developers, and trades operating in South East Queensland, this announcement is more than a backyard issue. Fire ants have long disrupted construction sites, delayed projects, and created additional compliance headaches for contractors.

Giving households and communities the tools to actively suppress infestations should ease some of that pressure. But the program’s success will ultimately come down to execution: will residents treat consistently, will aerial treatments cover enough ground, and will government coordination finally match the scale of the threat?

What’s clear is that the construction sector has skin in the game. Any failure to contain fire ants risks flow-on effects across supply chains, land development, and worker safety.

As the eradication campaign ramps up, builders and trades will need to stay alert, compliant, and proactive in their own fire ant management practices.

Need More Information?

Households in suppression zones can register for their free kits at fireants.org.au or by calling 132 ANT (13 22 68).

Author: TGB Editorial