Fireants
1
MAY 22 2011 Page 15 ST thesundaymail.com.au 15 NEWS thesundaymail.com.au SPECIAL INVESTIGATION will spread to you Digging deep: Biosecurity dog Mikey digs where he has found some fire ants nesting, showing his owner Libby Thornton. Picture: David Kapernick $US1.2 billion ($1.1 billion) a year is spent on containing fire ants, said eradication had not been achieved anywhere, and University of NSW entomol- ogist Dr Chris Orton has called for an independent as- sessment of claimed successes. Biosecurity Queensland fire-ant eradication program deputy director Craig Jennings insisted Queensland could still wipe out the pest. An estimated 65,000 colon- ies were detected when fire ants were first found in 2001, but last year that was down to about 500 colonies. Mr Jennings said the strat- egy could now shift from large-scale treatments to sur- veillance and more targeted treatments. The number of fire-ant staff has grown from 100 workers five years ago to 190 staff – less than half the number on the program in 2001. David Murray Claims of cover-up left unanswered Downplayed: Pam Swepson claims the State Government understated the spread of fire ants to ensure further funding. Picture: Adam Armstrong WHISTLEBLOWER Pam Swepson, the State Govern- ment’s former senior policy officer on fire ants, has warned of major Queensland mismanagement of the pro- gram that will come at a heavy price. Dr Swepson made a com- plaint to the Crime and Mis- conduct Commission in 2003 alleging her reports were changed to understate the spread of fire ants. Federal and interstate gov- ernments who were providing the bulk of funding were not informed of fresh outbreaks and reinfestation of treated areas, she alleged. ‘‘Eradication was the magic word. If they suddenly turned around and said it was a control program, then it no longer attracted the funding,’’ Dr Swepson said. But by hiding the problem, the Government missed its best chance to control the spread of fire ants, she said. Her claims have effectively never been investigated as the CMC gave the complaint to the department. While her complaint al- leged the State Government concealed the fire-ant prob- lem, the department investi- gators looked only at whether program managers reported facts up the chain internally and found they had. The career public servant was declared redundant in what she believes was retali- ation and is now working in the private sector. ‘‘I went through five or six years of a very difficult time, having my work taken away from me, given no one to report to, given no work to do, to force the department to declare I could make no valuable contribution. ‘‘But there was no option but to do what I believed was the right thing to do.’’ Recent floods would likely flush out and spread undis- closed and undetected nests, she warned. ‘‘I suspect we’re going to see an outbreak of fire ants this summer.’’ [email protected] Cameras take eradication to the skies Kelmeny Fraser World-first: The camera with infra-red power. THEIR bodies measure just a few millimetres long, but Queensland’s best hope of discovering fire ants could be from more than 100m above. The State Government will launch a new weapon to stamp out the fire-ant pest – a $1 million remote sensing camera with infra-red powers. In a world first, the fight will take to the skies in July to search for lingering infes- tations using thermal imaging and aerial photography. The launch will mark a transition from large-scale treatment to more targeted eradication. Testing began in 2009 and fire-ant eradication program deputy director Craig Jen- nings said the camera would be in use within months after favourable trial results. ‘‘We know our treatment works, we know we can kill them, so the big challenge is to find them,’’ he said. Attached to a helicopter, the equipment can search 750ha of ground a day for fire-ant mounds from about 120m above. Thermal imag- ing would be used to identify areas where the ground tem- perature differed from its surrounds, which would then be cross referenced against photographs designed to show areas matching the shape of ant mounds. Similar technology has been trialled in the US, but proved less effective due to the high density of infected areas there. US fire-ant ex- pert Dr Bart Drees said unusually shaped fire-ant mounds and thick vegetation had proved problematic for remote sensing equipment. [email protected]
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Transcript of Fireants
MAY 22 2011 Page 15ST
thesundaymail.com.au 15NEWSthesundaymail.com.au SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
will spread to you
Digging deep: Biosecuritydog Mikey digs where he hasfound some fire ants nesting,showing his owner LibbyThornton.Picture: David Kapernick
$US1.2 billion ($1.1 billion) ayear is spent on containing fireants, said eradication had notbeen achieved anywhere, andUniversity of NSW entomol-ogist Dr Chris Orton hascalled for an independent as-sessment of claimed successes.
Biosecurity Queenslandfire-ant eradication programdeputy director Craig Jenningsinsisted Queensland could stillwipe out the pest.
An estimated 65,000 colon-
ies were detected when fireants were first found in 2001,but last year that was down toabout 500 colonies.
Mr Jennings said the strat-egy could now shift fromlarge-scale treatments to sur-veillance and more targetedtreatments.
The number of fire-ant staffhas grown from 100 workersfive years ago to 190 staff –less than half the number onthe program in 2001.
David Murray
Claims of cover-upleft unanswered
Downplayed: Pam Swepson claims the State Governmentunderstated the spread of fire ants to ensure further funding.Picture: Adam Armstrong
WHISTLEBLOWER PamSwepson, the State Govern-ment’s former senior policyofficer on fire ants, haswarned of major Queenslandmismanagement of the pro-gram that will come at aheavy price.
Dr Swepson made a com-plaint to the Crime and Mis-conduct Commission in 2003alleging her reports werechanged to understate thespread of fire ants.
Federal and interstate gov-ernments who were providingthe bulk of funding were notinformed of fresh outbreaksand reinfestation of treatedareas, she alleged.
‘‘Eradication was the magicword. If they suddenly turnedaround and said it was acontrol program, then it nolonger attracted the funding,’’Dr Swepson said.
But by hiding the problem,the Government missed itsbest chance to control thespread of fire ants, she said.
Her claims have effectivelynever been investigated as the
CMC gave the complaint tothe department.
While her complaint al-leged the State Governmentconcealed the fire-ant prob-lem, the department investi-gators looked only at whetherprogram managers reportedfacts up the chain internallyand found they had.
The career public servantwas declared redundant inwhat she believes was retali-ation and is now working inthe private sector.
‘‘I went through five or sixyears of a very difficult time,having my work taken awayfrom me, given no one toreport to, given no work to do,to force the department todeclare I could make novaluable contribution.
‘‘But there was no optionbut to do what I believed wasthe right thing to do.’’
Recent floods would likelyflush out and spread undis-closed and undetected nests,she warned. ‘‘I suspect we’regoing to see an outbreak offire ants this summer.’’
Cameras take eradication to the skiesKelmeny Fraser
World-first: The camerawith infra-red power.
THEIR bodies measure just afew millimetres long, butQueensland’s best hope ofdiscovering fire ants could befrom more than 100m above.
The State Government willlaunch a new weapon tostamp out the fire-ant pest – a$1 million remote sensingcamera with infra-red powers.
In a world first, the fightwill take to the skies in July tosearch for lingering infes-tations using thermal imagingand aerial photography. The
launch will mark a transitionfrom large-scale treatment tomore targeted eradication.
Testing began in 2009 andfire-ant eradication programdeputy director Craig Jen-nings said the camera wouldbe in use within months afterfavourable trial results.
‘‘We know our treatmentworks, we know we can killthem, so the big challenge isto find them,’’ he said.
Attached to a helicopter,the equipment can search750ha of ground a day forfire-ant mounds from about
120m above. Thermal imag-ing would be used to identifyareas where the ground tem-perature differed from its
surrounds, which would thenbe cross referenced againstphotographs designed toshow areas matching theshape of ant mounds.
Similar technology hasbeen trialled in the US, butproved less effective due tothe high density of infectedareas there. US fire-ant ex-pert Dr Bart Drees saidunusually shaped fire-antmounds and thick vegetationhad proved problematic forremote sensing equipment.
