Free Fire Ant Treatment for Thousands in South East

• The Crisafulli Government is delivering free fire ant treatment kits to 64,000 households across South East Queensland.
• Residents in the suppression zone in Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and parts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast can register for a free kit to treat their yards.
• The Crisafulli Government is beefing up Queensland's biosecurity and the self-treatment initiative supports the national effort to eradicate fire ants from Australia.
• Queenslanders have now seen 10 months of delivering action on fire ants under the Crisafulli Government, after 10 years of decline under Labor.

The Crisafulli Government is intensifying its fight against fire ants by delivering free fire ant treatment kits to more than 64,000 households across South East Queensland from this week.

The self-treatment initiative will see registered residents from the Redlands to Rosewood receive their kits in the mail – giving families the tools to protect their backyards, neighbourhoods and outdoor lifestyle from one of the world's most invasive pests.

Delivered through the Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce (FAST), the initiative is part of the Crisafulli's Government commitment to boost national efforts to eradicate fire ants from Australia by 2032, and is in addition to Queensland's contribution under the national cost shared program.

The former Labor Government watched-on as fire ants broke containment lines and spread to more than 800 thousand hectares during their decade of decline.

Three independent reports between 2019 and 2024 were scathing of the Labor Government's failures, lack of progress, mismanagement and funding shortfalls.

The Crisafulli Government is beefing up Queensland's biosecurity, and has already invested $24 million dollars over the next two years for aerial treatment of fire ants on larger properties in the suppression zone.

Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said the Government was bolstering Queensland's biosecurity and providing residents with practical tools to drastically reduce fire ant populations.

"Fire ants are a serious biosecurity threat to our health, environment, economy, and outdoor way of life, so we need as many people as possible to treat their properties as part of our fight against this insidious pest," Minister Perrett said.

"The Crisafulli Government is delivering major investment in fire ant suppression, as well as key governance changes to implement key recommendations and treat all year round for the first time ever.

"These safe, easy-to use self-treatment kits let residents in Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and parts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast sprinkle treatment across their yards during the warmer months, with ants carrying the granules back to their nests to stop the queen from producing viable offspring.

"For residents outside these areas, they can also receive a free nest treatment kit by mail after suspect ants or nests are reported to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program."

Local Government Association of Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Alison Smith welcomed the State Government's commitment this initiative and funding.

"Every year Queensland councils call for increased invasive species funding from State and Federal governments, including funding to help local government manage the threat of Red Imported Fire Ants in affected communities," Alison Smith said.

"Fire ants have significant economic implications for Queensland farmers and our environment, but the cost of fire ant eradication and the restrictions that are applied to producers' place pressure on those businesses."

In tandem with household self-treatment kits, aerial treatment for larger properties in the suppression zones already underway in the northern Gold Coast cane-growing areas including Alberton, Gilberton, Jacobs Well, Norwell, Pimpama, Steiglitz and Woongoolba.

Treatment will then move through Ormeau, Eagleby, the Logan-Albert River catchments, and onto the Bremer River catchment.