The battle against fire ants in south-east Queensland is facing a setback due to bureaucratic delays.

According to the Invasive Species Council, ongoing delays could have catastrophic consequences for eradicating these invasive ants, known for their ability to kill native species, livestock, and trigger severe allergic reactions in humans.

The council claims that a leaked government report highlights a significant funding shortfall for the fire ant eradication initiative. 

While both federal and state governments have rejected the council's analysis, maintaining that funding for future years has been expedited, concerns remain regarding the sufficiency of funds to effectively combat the fire ant threat.

Reece Pianta, spokesperson for the Invasive Species Council, stressed the urgency of the situation, stating; “Without additional funding, we're going to see a surge in fire ant numbers”.

Pianta warned that this increase could lead to the expansion of the fire ant territory into northern New South Wales and potentially even into the Murray Darling Basin, resulting in dire consequences.

The fire ant eradication plan was initiated in 2017 with a commitment of $400 million over a decade from various states and territories. 

However, a recent public report from the Queensland auditor-general indicated that a staggering $593 million over four years would be necessary for successful eradication, with contributions shared among states, territories, and the Commonwealth.

Pianta says leaked documents revealed a meagre allocation of $84 million for fire ant eradication in the upcoming year, falling short by $49 million as indicated by the auditor-general's assessment. 

He expressed concern that this limited budget would only cover partial treatment efforts, not allowing for comprehensive eradication, effective surveillance, or prevention of fire ant spread through human transport.

A recent discovery of a fire ant nest near the New South Wales border has added urgency to the situation. 

Queensland authorities have declared a new containment area to control the spread, but Pianta suggested that the allocated area for treatment and monitoring could be reduced by half due to insufficient funding. 

He also raised concerns about the reduction in treatment frequency, potentially hampering eradication efforts.

Despite these concerns, federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and Queensland's Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner rejected the claims of funding inadequacy, asserting that they had advanced the remaining future years' funding to this year, resulting in a fourfold increase in this year's budget.