Clarence Valley residents are being asked to be on the lookout for imported red fire ants after the NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed the detection of three of the insect’s nests at south Murwillumbah.

This first detection of red fire ants in NSW triggered the National Fire Ant Eradication Program response, part of a $600 million eradication plan developed by the NSW and Federal governments.

Experienced teams from the NSW Government are working closely with the Commonwealth and Queensland governments, plus Tweed Shire Council staff, to chemically eradicate the infestation in a radius of 200 metres from the nests.

An emergency biosecurity control order has been implemented by the NSW DPI, who are leading the control, tracing, and communications of the fire ants, across a radius of five kilometres from the south Murwillumbah site.

NSW DPI officers and detection dogs are working to determine the extent of the infestation by undertaking genetic testing of the fire ants and searching all properties within the control radius.

All businesses and residents within that radius are restricted in how they can move potential fire ant carrier materials without permission.

The following types of materials are restricted: mulch, woodchips, compost, sand, gravel, soil, hay and other baled products.

Fire ants are dark reddish-brown with a darker black-brown abdomen and range in size from two to six millimetres long.

Their ant nests are distinctive mounds of loose, crumbly, or fluffy looking soil with a honeycomb appearance, up to 40 centimetres high, with no obvious entrance holes.

Red imported fire ants can damage electrical and agricultural equipment, sting people, pets and livestock, kill native plants and animals, and damage ecosystems beyond repair.

Those who breach the emergency biosecurity order could face significant penalties with fines for breaches reaching up to $1.1 million for an individual and up to $2.2 million for a corporation.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said red imported fire ants are a terrible invasive pest, which cause serious social, economic, and environmental harm, which is why the Minns Government this year committed $95 million towards the National Fire Ant Eradication Program.

“Biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and as our fire ant response ramps up in northern NSW, I encourage everyone to continue to check their properties for these pests,” she said.

“With the Christmas cross-border travel season approaching, we all must be careful of what we’re moving and where.

“Finding fire ants early and alerting NSW DPI, just like the community member has done in this instance, will increase our chances of a successful eradication effort.”