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| Wardell NSW Population 803 people (2021) IMAGE: Google Earth |
Echo, 22 January 2023:
Fire ants found in Wardell on Friday were destroyed on Saturday and are no longer a risk to the community living in the immediate area, according to the NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.
The fire ants in Wardell were originally reported in by a member of the community to the NSW Biosecurity Hotline on Friday and confirmed as fire ants later that day.
The Ballina finding also comes just days after fire ants were spotted floating in floodwaters around the Gold Coast and warnings that fire ants could spread further south after being detected in Murwillumbah.
National Fire Ant Eradication Program
The NSW Department of Primary Industries team moved in with colleagues from the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and Ballina Shire Council to destroy the fire ants, control the site, start tracing the source and survey the surrounding area.
Moriarty said to manage the risks of spread, a biosecurity control order has been put in place with immediate effect, restricting movement within the surrounding 5km area of the site in Wardell.
Department of Primary Industry teams will support the local businesses and community who will need to lock down movement of landscaping, gardening, and building materials plus machinery until inspected and checked.
Chemically eradicated the infestation
Experienced teams were on site on Saturday and chemically eradicated the infestation and treated a radius of 500 metres from the site.
Following detection of the fire ants the NSW Government instigated its action plan covering – eradication, control, tracing, and engagement of local businesses and community.
Moriarty said the teams were prepared for this discovery of fire ants and immediately implemented a response plan and destroyed the fire ant site.
‘Biosecurity is a shared responsibility and I encourage everyone to continue to check their properties for these pests. With the summer cross-border travel in peak times I ask everyone to be careful of what they’re moving and where.’.....
Community kept informed
Tara Moriarty said the community will be kept informed of progress.
The team will continue activities with sniffer dogs and boots on the ground to determine the extent of any infestation, undertake genetic testing of the fire ants, as well as engaging and supporting the impacted local community and businesses.
