A brief history of the red imported fire ant eradication program

The discovery of the Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren—RIFA) in Brisbane on 22 February 2001 led to an emergency response that ultimately resulted in the implementation of the Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program and the formation of the Fire Ant Control Centre (FACC). The Eradication Program is funded through a national cost sharing arrangement under the control of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council. It is an intensive whole-of-government response led by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F). The DPI&F has received strong support from the Department of Natural Resources, Queensland Mines and Energy, Department of State Development and Innovation and the Environmental Protection Agency