The Biosecurity Regulation 2016 details the steps you must follow when producing and storing organic materials that can carry fire ants before you can move the materials legally.
Inspecting materials for fire ants
It is illegal for you to move or transport any materials that contain fire ants.
Before moving any materials from one location to another, you are legally obligated to check your materials for fire ants.
Pay special attention to storage areas, where fire ants are likely to hide.
Materials that are kept on the ground, outdoors, or contain organic matter are easily overlooked and often attract fire ants.
Materials that can carry fire ants
Certain materials have specific rules you need to meet to transport them safely. These materials are known as carriers, because they have a high-risk of carrying fire ants.
There are movement controls in place for these materials to prevent spreading fire ants. Movement controls outline the rules for keeping, storing and moving these carriers.
View the movement controls you need to follow for each carrier.
Other items that carry fire ants
Fire ants can also hide in non-traditional carriers.
Non-traditional carriers are materials or equipment that have no specific movement control requirements but are increasingly high-risk.
Examples of non-traditional carriers include:
- Pallets or palletised materials—such as bricks, bagged products, steel equipment
- Machinery or equipment—items with soil, organic matter, or moisture
- Large structures—shipping containers, site sheds, portable offices
- Other items—traffic cones, skip bins, fencing materials
Any item stored outdoors on the ground for long periods is high-risk and considered a non-traditional carrier.
Remember to inspect your property regularly for fire ants, focusing on storage areas for non-traditional carriers.
For more advice, see our tips for checking equipment and machinery.
Images
Click through to see examples images of non-traditional carriers:
- Pallet of bricks stored on grass
- Tractor tyres covered in mud, soil, and grass
- Tractor bucket filled with grass and soil
- Shipping container resting on grass
- Wire fencing in a trailer with grass and organic matter
- Sheets of iron on the ground with soil and mud
