Fire ants

Changes to the Biosecurity Regulation 2016 for fire ants came into effect on Wednesday 27 May 2020.

These changes provide extra protection to areas that have undergone the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program's eradication activities, and reduce the chance of the pest spreading by the movement of infested material such as soil, gravel, mulch and hay.

The key changes are:

• 2 fire ant biosecurity zones instead of 3 (zones include new suburb areas where fire ants have been found previously)
• new soil movement guideline clarifies how you can meet your general biosecurity obligation (GBO) when working with soil
• updated risk mitigation strategies to guide you when working with material that may carry fire ants (may reduce the need to apply for a biosecurity instrument permit).

Find out more or join the conversation on the fire ant zones engagement hub.