A former Queensland government official alleges the state government covered up the true extent of the fire ant problem. Pam Swepson claims reports of the spread of fire ants were altered to downplay the issue in order to continue receiving federal funding that required claiming eradication was possible. While the Crime and Misconduct Commission investigated, they only looked at internal reporting and not the substance of Swepson's allegations. The government will now use a $1 million infrared camera attached to a helicopter to search for remaining fire ant colonies from over 100 meters above ground as a new strategy, having previously relied more on large-scale treatments.

1. thesundaymail.com.au
thesundaymail.com.au SPECIAL INVESTIGATION NEWS 15
will spread to you
Claims of cover-up
left unanswered
David Murray CMC gave the complaint to
the department.
WHISTLEBLOWER Pam While her complaint al-
Swepson, the State Govern- leged the State Government
ment’s former senior policy concealed the fire-ant prob-
officer on fire ants, has lem, the department investi-
warned of major Queensland gators looked only at whether
mismanagement of the pro- program managers reported
gram that will come at a facts up the chain internally
heavy price. and found they had.
Dr Swepson made a com- The career public servant
plaint to the Crime and Mis- was declared redundant in
conduct Commission in 2003 what she believes was retali-
alleging her reports were ation and is now working in
changed to understate the the private sector.
spread of fire ants. ‘‘I went through five or six
Federal and interstate gov- years of a very difficult time,
ernments who were providing having my work taken away
the bulk of funding were not from me, given no one to
informed of fresh outbreaks report to, given no work to do,
and reinfestation of treated to force the department to
areas, she alleged. declare I could make no
‘‘Eradication was the magic valuable contribution.
word. If they suddenly turned ‘‘But there was no option
around and said it was a but to do what I believed was
control program, then it no the right thing to do.’’
longer attracted the funding,’’ Recent floods would likely
Dr Swepson said. flush out and spread undis-
But by hiding the problem, closed and undetected nests,
the Government missed its she warned. ‘‘I suspect we’re
best chance to control the going to see an outbreak of Downplayed: Pam Swepson claims the State Government
spread of fire ants, she said. fire ants this summer.’’ understated the spread of fire ants to ensure further funding.
Her claims have effectively
murrayd@qnp.newsltd.com.au Picture: Adam Armstrong
never been investigated as the
Digging deep: Biosecurity
dog Mikey digs where he has
found some fire ants nesting,
showing his owner Libby
Thornton.
Cameras take eradication to the skies
Picture: David Kapernick Kelmeny Fraser launch will mark a transition surrounds, which would then
from large-scale treatment to be cross referenced against
THEIR bodies measure just a more targeted eradication. photographs designed to
$US1.2 billion ($1.1 billion) a ies were detected when fire few millimetres long, but Testing began in 2009 and show areas matching the
year is spent on containing fire ants were first found in 2001, Queensland’s best hope of fire-ant eradication program shape of ant mounds.
ants, said eradication had not but last year that was down to discovering fire ants could be deputy director Craig Jen- Similar technology has
been achieved anywhere, and about 500 colonies. from more than 100m above. nings said the camera would been trialled in the US, but
University of NSW entomol- Mr Jennings said the strat- The State Government will be in use within months after proved less effective due to
ogist Dr Chris Orton has egy could now shift from launch a new weapon to favourable trial results. the high density of infected
called for an independent as- large-scale treatments to sur- stamp out the fire-ant pest – a ‘‘We know our treatment World-first: The camera areas there. US fire-ant ex-
sessment of claimed successes. veillance and more targeted $1 million remote sensing works, we know we can kill with infra-red power. pert Dr Bart Drees said
Biosecurity Queensland treatments. camera with infra-red powers. them, so the big challenge is unusually shaped fire-ant
fire-ant eradication program The number of fire-ant staff In a world first, the fight to find them,’’ he said. mounds and thick vegetation
deputy director Craig Jennings has grown from 100 workers will take to the skies in July to Attached to a helicopter, 120m above. Thermal imag- had proved problematic for
insisted Queensland could still five years ago to 190 staff – search for lingering infes- the equipment can search ing would be used to identify remote sensing equipment.
wipe out the pest. less than half the number on tations using thermal imaging 750ha of ground a day for areas where the ground tem-
An estimated 65,000 colon- the program in 2001. and aerial photography. The fire-ant mounds from about perature differed from its fraserk@qnp.newsltd.com.au
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