IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TURF INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS:
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has taken immediate action to mitigate the risk of fire ant movements into NSW by placing a temporary suspension of turf movements from QLD fire ant infested areas into any part of NSW.
The swift response follows the interception of fire ant infested turf at Clunes, near Byron Bay on 12 November. From 15 November, turf importation from the Queensland Government-defined QLD fire ant infested area is suspended pending further investigations and compliance work.
Biosecurity Emergency Order (No. 17) 2024:
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (the Department) has published Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order (No. 17) 2024 on 18 December 2024. This supersedes Order No. 16, published on 26 November 2024.
There are no changes to the boundaries of the NSW Fire Ant Infested Area or the Fire Ant Movement Control Areas (Murwillumbah and Wardell).
The Qld fire ant infested area has increased in size with increases in Allandale, Bellmere, Beerburrum, Bracalba, Caboolture, Caboolture South, Cannon Creek, Elimbah, Lake Manchester, Lilywood, Morayfield, Ropeley, Toorbul, Upper Caboolture, Wamuran, and Woodford.
If you are moving the defined fire ant carriers from the parts of QLD and NSW shown in red, orange or yellow on this map, you must comply with the current Emergency Order.
Read the current NSW Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order
Read the Emergency Order Plain English Guide (PDF, 807.7 KB)
Fire ants infest around 830,000 ha in Southeast Queensland, close to the NSW border which poses an ongoing risk of new infestations in NSW. Most of NSW has been free of fire ants. Nests found in South Murwillumbah (November 2023) and Wardell (January 2024) were destroyed and surveillance and treatment are ongoing, in partnership with the National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program.
The movement of fire ant carrier material from fire ant infested areas is prohibited unless certain conditions are met. Conditions are detailed in the Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency order.
The Department has a NSW Fire Ant Strategic Plan 2024-2025 (PDF, 184.47 KB) that sets out key actions to prevent fire ants from establishing in NSW.
Fire ants in NSW
South Murwillumbah
Fire ants were detected at South Murwillumbah on 24 November 2023.
Wardell
Fire ants were detected at Wardell on 19 January 2024.
