Red tape chokes war Elections plague yellow crazy ant funding

A DELAY in funding to help fight yellow crazy ants in the Far North is due to bureaucratic red tape over which agency will administer the money.

The Wet Tropics Management Authority has yet to receive the full amount of the $8.8 million promised to it by the Coalition during the fed- eral election to eradicate the acid-spraying invasive pests from local rainforests.

The state-operated agency had been seeking $15 million over three years from both state and federal governments.

The Palaszczuk Government has only chipped in $3 million towards ant control.

In a Senate estimates hearings SURVIVOR: Doreen Salerno of Mareeba, a cancer survivor, is the 2016 Face of Relay at the Tablelands Relay For Life. this week, Brisbane-based Greens Senator Larissa Waters grilled Department of Environment and Energy officials about why the federal funding had not yet been forthcoming.

Paul Murphy, the biosecurity assistant secretary, said there were at least two state departments involved in yellow crazy ant eradication.

“Once the Queensland Government have identified a lead agency, we will then negotiate with them on the grant guidelines which would enable that grant to take place,” Mr Murphy said.

“The other component to it is that part of the election announcement was that Queensland would match the commitment of funding and that has not happened.”

Senator Waters also quizzed the bureaucrats about the timing of the announcement of funding for yellow crazy ant eradication, which was made during the federal election.

A community campaign had been lobbying all levels of government for the money for at least 12 months.

Stephen Oxley, the department’s wildlife, heritage and marine first assistant secretary, told the hearing a decision about the funding was part of the budget process leading into the election.

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