More than 100 nests of potentially deadly fire ants have been discovered on Defence land in the Murray Darling river system.
Fire ants bites can cause a severe burning sensation that lasts up to an hour and in some instances can cause a fatal anaphylactic shock.
Indonesia says it would have liked to have known earlier that 151 animals had died on a transport vessel from Darwin.
A national outbreak of the pest from its Queensland stronghold would sting the economy – and that’s without even considering the health costs.
Helen Scott-Orr,a former federal inspector-general of biosecurity,warns the threat posed by the invasive pest goes far beyond agriculture.
An exotic beetle native to South East Asia that kills trees by boring tunnels into them and implanting a fungus is invading parks around Perth.
Experts warn hospitalisations and deaths due to stinging insects are likely to significantly increase if fire ants become endemic in Australia,adding to pressure on the medical system.
The red ant nest has been eradicated,and the ants are no longer considered a risk to the community living in the immediate area.
Venomous fire ants caught in Queensland floodwaters are forming living rafts that can quickly travel long distances,raising the threat of more incursions into NSW.
Amber Heard was charged after bringing her two dogs into the country without declaring them in 2015.
The venomous pests are spreading from Queensland towards NSW and other states,as government documents reveal a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to wipe them out.