Fire ants are a highly invasive species. Council’s waste and resource recovery facilities have strict protocols about bringing soil and other items in from a Fire Ant Restricted Zone.
Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, individuals and organisations have a general biosecurity obligation to take all reasonable steps to ensure they do not spread fire ants.
Restricted items include:
- Soil (fill, clay, scrapings, topsoil, potting media and any other material from the ground).
- Mulch, manure, bark, hay, pot plants, potting mix, turf, gravels, poultry litter and green waste that has been stockpiled before disposal.
- NOTE: Freshly cut green waste (same day as disposal) is not a restricted item and can be disposed of at all sites.
Restricted items from Restricted Zone 1 can only be taken to a Waste and Resource Recovery Facility in Zones 1 or 2.
Restricted items from Zone 2 can only be taken to a Waste and Resource Recovery Facility in Zone 2.
Restricted Zone 1 suburbs:
Anthony, Blantyre, Coleyville, Fassifern, Frazerview, Harrisville, Kalbar, Kents Lagoon, Kulgun, Limestone Ridges, Lower Mount Walker, Merryvale, Milbong, Milora, Moorang, Mount Forbes, Mount Walker, Mount Walker West, Munbilla, Mutdapilly, Obum, Obum, Peak Crossing, Radford, Roadvale, Rosevale, Silverdale, Tarome, Templin, Teviotville, Undullah, Warrill View, Washpool, Wilson Plains, Woolooman.
Restricted items from Zone 1 can be taken to the following waste facilities:
Beaudesert, Canungra, Tamborine Mountain, Peak Crossing and Kalbar.
N.B. Kalbar does not take green waste.
Restricted Zone 2 suburbs:
Allenview, Beaudesert, Benobble, Biddaddaba, Birnam, Bromelton, Boyland, Canungra, Coulson, Cryna, Gleneagle, Josephville, Kagaru, Kerry, Nindooinbah, Tabragalba, Tamborine, Tamborine Mountain, Veresdale, Veresdale Scrub, Witheren, Wonglepong, Wyaralong.
Restricted items from Zone 2 can be taken to the following waste facilities:
Beaudesert, Canungra and Tamborine Mountain.
For further information on fire ants, visit www.fireants.org.au