While the march of imported red fire ants towards the NSW border has stoked fears for local biosecurity, a $268 million investment has been made to help control and contain the pest. 

With the new funding, the National Fire Ant Eradication Program will expand to double the size of the treatment and surveillance area. 

The federal Government funding is a significant boost to the program, which received $94 million in the last financial year. 

A review of the eradication program found that at least $200 to $300 million per year would be required to achieve eradication of the fire ant by 2032.

“Eradication will take at least a decade and so while this four year funding announcement is very welcome, work should start immediately on developing the next funding package so that we do not have any more delays,” Invasive Species Council conservation officer Reece Pianta said. 

"Australia is world leader when it comes to tackling ant invasions and the experts are telling us that fire ants can still be eradicated with a significantly ramped-up program of baiting, surveillance and community engagement.”

Red imported fire ants haven't been able to be eradicated since they were discovered in Australia in 2001. (NSW DPIE)

Red imported fire ants are expected to have a $2 billion per year impact on Australia’s economy if they get out of control, and cut agricultural output by up to 40 per cent.

Experts also predict the lethal ants could cause over one hundred thousand extra medical appointments each year if their spread can’t be contained.

"Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests and, if they are allowed to spread across the continent, their impact will be greater than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined. 

"Earlier this year, Victoria had a fire ant incursion with a Queen ant found on a freight pallet from Queensland. Victoria is lucky the system caught it this time, but every year we fail to eradicate these super pests increases the odds they will sneak into other parts of Australia." Mr Pianta said. 

While there is no denying the need for eradication, Shadow agriculture Minister David Littleproud said that the funding announcement was delayed and not enough. 

“Labor’s funding was needed four months ago, which puts the time-critical response at risk,” Mr Littleproud said.

“The frightening thing is that if it gets up above the Great Dividing Range, it could potentially get into the Murray Darling Basin, and that could effectively see the fire ants go right down to Adelaide. It would impact the whole country and have devastating consequences.”

The funding will see 350 new workers, a new depot, new vehicles, new aerial eradication contracts and an additional 1400 tonnes of bait for the eradication program each year. 

The NSW Government committed a further $80 million to stop the spread of fire ants, which they announced in June this year.