The National Fire Ant Eradication Program (the Program) is a highly scrutinised eradication program. It has been independently reviewed many times since 2001 to help understand its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
The three most recent Program reviews and responses are found below.
Program audit 2023
In 2023, the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) reviewed the impact of invasive species in Queensland. The audit made eight recommendations to improve how entities assess, prioritise and mitigate the risk of invasive species. Two recommendations are relevant to the Program, with the Program reporting progress against these recommendations twice a year.
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These documents were prepared by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and may not meet Australian Government accessibility requirements. If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Progress report – July 2024
Independent strategic review 2021
The Program was most recently independently reviewed in 2021. This review was initiated by the Program’s Steering Committee and examined:
- the program’s ability to achieve the objectives of the Ten-Year Eradication Plan
- effectiveness of the program’s strategy
- alternative strategies for achieving the objectives.
Findings
The review found the Program had been successful in slowing fire ant spread to about 4.9 km per year (compared to 48 km in the USA and 80 km in China) greatly reducing densities, limiting local impacts and potential spread from those areas.
It found that eradication was still technically possible but needed major changes in eradication strategy and further investment to help achieve the goal of eradicating fire ants by 2032. A new approach was required to stop further spread and to shrink the operational zone.
Recommendations
The review recommendations included changing the eradication strategy, significantly increasing resources and strengthening governance arrangements to align with other national biosecurity response programs. These recommendations were used to develop the 2023-27 Response Plan.
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These documents were prepared by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and may not meet Australian Government accessibility requirements. If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Response update – 2024
Strategic review report
Terms of Reference
Efficiency and effectiveness review 2019
The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the Program was reviewed in 2019, as required under the Ten-Year (2017-27) Eradication Plan.
The 2019 review made 37 recommendations. The Program’s Steering Committee responded in April 2020. Progress reports against the recommendations were completed in 2020 and 2021.
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These documents were prepared by the National Fire Ant Eradication Program and may not meet Australian Government accessibility requirements. If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.