NSW gardener in blistering pain after discovering new outbreak of dangerous fire ants at flood pod village
ABCThe accidental discovery of red imported fire ants by a gardener in northern New South Wales has raised concerns about whether the pests were introduced during construction of temporary flood housing, following the flood disaster of 2022. Pod villages under the spotlight Jack Gough, director of advocacy at the Invasive Species Council, says the biggest concern is how the fire ants got so far south into NSW. Government denies link Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery, insists it is "overreach" for the Invasive Species Council to suggest the NSW Reconstruction Authority could have spread fire ants. "When the pod villages were constructed, NSW did not have the threat of fire ants," she said. "It's very serious and will transform our way of life if fire ants spread; kids can't walk into their backyard or local parks in bare feet," Mr Gough said.
History of this topic
Fire ants are threatening the Aussie way of life for some families. Here's what you need to know
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