Fire Ants – Rule Changes (Sept 2020)

18 September 2020

New fire ant biosecurity zones and requirements are now in effect and impact the movement of materials such as soil, mulch, quarry products, turf and nursery products in SEQ.

Under the changes the fire ant biosecurity zones will change. There will now be two zones – one covering the Lockyer Valley, parts of Ipswich and the Scenic Rim and the second covering parts of Ipswich, Logan, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Redlands. The changes mean that new suburbs will be covered by the zones for the first time.

There are new risk mitigation strategies that you are legally required to follow if working with or disposing of materials that may carry fire ants. In some situations, this may require applying for a biosecurity instrument permit.

In the first instance the government will take an educative approach to enforcement and has made a range of communication material online. This includes the fire ant biosecurity zone maps and an online Fire Ant Compliance Advice Tool.

More information