By Jacob Shteyman in Canberra

Biosecurity advocates have flamed the Albanese government for failing to take seriously a super pest that threatens to devastate Australia’s native wildlife.

The government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry into imported fire ants missed the point of the committee’s findings, the Invasive Species Council said on Tuesday.

“The evidence at the senate inquiry was clear that the current level of resourcing is not sufficient to eradicate this super pest,” the group’s advocacy manager Reece Pianta said.

Authorities have been battling to stamp out the highly aggressive, swarming fire ants for more than two decades.

But in recent years their spread has intensified, with nests increasingly being found outside containment zones in southeast Queensland, including across the border in NSW.

If their march across the country goes unchecked, the exotic insects could cost Australia more than $2 billion a year, devastate native wildlife and cause six deaths annually, a recent report by the Australia Institute found.

Mr Pianta said the inquiry posed an opportunity for the government to ensure fire ant eradication was on track by launching an urgent review of funding and resourcing, but instead they hit the pause button, with a review not planned until late 2025.

“This is extremely disappointing,” he said.

“‘Fire ants already threaten koala sanctuary areas in Queensland and the Threatened Species Commissioner has warned iconic echidna, platypus and turtle populations could decline from fire ant infestations.”

The government also refused the inquiry’s recommendations to strengthen the fire ant suppression taskforce, instead saying it was a Queensland government initiative and managed separately to the containment and eradication program.

“This shows they’ve failed to grasp the urgency of scaling up suppression work,” Mr Pianta said.

“Right now numbers are skyrocketing due to a lack of personnel, bait and equipment for suppression.

“This is not a serious response to a serious problem.”

Federal, state and territory governments have committed $1.28 billion by 2027 to tackle the ant menace.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan chaired the inquiry and said the government supported the majority of the report’s recommendations, showing a commitment from all sides of politics to get fire ants under control.

“As a result of the increased focus on the issue during the inquiry, the government significantly expanded funding to the eradication efforts of red imported fire ants and this will hopefully see benefits in helping contain the risk posed,” he said.