Fire ants are poised to wreak havoc on Logan, with shocking new research predicting millions in damage, over 100,000 stings, and even a fatality every two years.
Data from The Australia Institute has predicted almost one Logan resident will die every two years due to a fire ant sting and the invasive species could cost the community more than $13 million per year.
Roughly another 8200 locals will seek medical attention every year because of the invasive ant, research suggests.
The institute predicts fire ants will cost Queenslanders $188 million per year, with up to six people dying state-wide “unless urgent action is taken”.
“If a murderer said that they planned to kill six random Queenslanders each year, the response would be enormous,” The Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell said.
“That’s essentially what fire ants are saying yet the response is minimal.
“Our research shows that investing in fire ant eradication is one of the best economic policies a government could adopt, as well as being good environmental and security policy.”
Those who run the National Fire Ant Eradication Program point to the $680 million in state and federal funding spent on eradication efforts over the past six years.
In total, around $1 billion has been dedicated to fighting the ant species since it was first detected in the early 2000s, with the government now hoping eradication will occur by 2032.
The Australia Institute’s Logan-specific data was based on Queensland electorate information compiled by the think tank.
The number of stings, medical presentations and deaths the institute estimated for each electorate was based on peer-reviewed studies and journals.
These studies show “30 per cent of the population will be stung each year”, 7.5 per cent of those stung seek medical attention, two percent develop an anaphylactic reaction requiring an EpiPen, and 0.02 per cent of those who require an EpiPen after a fire ant attack die.
Costs the institute associated with fire ants include vet bills, costs of medical appointments, the price of pesticides, among several other variables.
The figure does not include the costs of environmental and agricultural impacts of the fire ant.
But the national eradication program predicts the “insidious” pest could cause $2 billion in damage annually – including hundreds of millions to Australia’s agricultural industry and environment.
In August, Logan City Council claimed costs to defend against the destructive ant could mount for Logan ratepayers over the next decade.
Council said if financial support wasn’t provided by other levels of government, the national eradication effort could be “jeopardised”.
This sentiment has been echoed repeatedly by industry experts, including a whistleblower from the former national eradication program and advocates from the Invasive Species Council.
Both have told MyCity Logan that arming local councils with treatment and funding was the only way to wipeout the pests once and for all.
State politicians have agreed to support council’s efforts to eradicate the pest, by looking into “different funding methods”.
Logan MP Linus Power took it upon himself to hand out free fire ant treatment from his office in August.
He is one of the only MPs state-wide to do so – distributing more than 600 bait shakers to around 135 properties, community groups and sports clubs.
Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Reece Pianta said, “for every dollar spent on fire ant eradication, the public benefit is estimated to be between $3 and $9”.
‘We are very concerned that the current level of government funding is not enough to ensure eradication success and none of the parties contesting the upcoming Queensland election have committed to ongoing fire ant eradication funding,” he said.
“Failure to win the war against fire ants will ultimately cost Queensland households, councils and hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
“That is why we are calling on all candidates and parties to make this a priority ahead of the Queensland election by committing to sustained funding eradication efforts while we still have a chance to win this fight.”
