A LOCKYER Valley acreage landholder will ride his horse to the offices of the Primary Industries Minister in Brisbane to protest what he says are the Fire Ant Eradication Program’s disastrous effects on his businesses.

Adare man Trevor Hold says toxic chemicals – pyriproxyfen and S-methoprene – used in the fight against fire ants killed two of his calves.

He will ride horse McLightning to demand a meeting with Primary Industries Minister Anthony Perrett to resolve the grievances.

Mr Hold said the protest at the end of January would continue until Mr Perrett agreed to consult over the pesticides now being dropped by helicopter over the land.

Mr Hold breeds Galloway cattle on his smallholding as part of a program to help those with mental health complaints.

“I want a full, fair and transparent investigation into the deaths of my calves,

including subsequent insurance claims, including reimbursement of water quality tests, vet bills, and necropsy reports, which consider all the facts including bio accumulation of these toxins in my cows that caused embryo and foetus development problems during pregnancy,” Mr Hold said

An autopsy, which Mr Hold financed himself, gave a result of death to one calf as diagnosed degenerative hepatopathy and hepatic encephalopathy – neurological conditions caused by liver failure.

The calf died with a liver 1.5 times larger than usual.

Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain disorder caused by chronic liver failure in which toxins build up in the blood and affect the brain, causing confusion, disorientation and other changes, often appearing to resemble paralysis.

Normally, a liver filters these toxins but if the liver isn’t performing this function as usual, neurotoxins circulate, eventually affecting the brain.

“The bio accumulation of the toxic chemicals distributed to prophylactically treat fire ants is unknown and have caused harm to my susceptible Galloway Cattle in my opinion. All efforts should be made to avoid exposure of these chemicals to my cattle,” Mr Hold said.

“Prophylactic distribution of these toxic substance in and around the waterways feeding my dam and upstream catchment areas in the mountains are causing harm to livestock and aquatic life.”

Mr Hold said in the 10 years he had lived at his property all the yabbies and mussels had vanished.

“I contend that the chemicals used by this program create adverse effects and death – they are toxic to aquatic life – its maker even admits this,” he said.

Mr Hold said peer reviewed, reputable, scientific study showed fire eradication was impossible.

“How much more taxpayers’ money will be wasted, how much of Queensland’s biodiverse ecosystems will be compromised, and how many human lives will be negatively affected before the Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) National Biosecurity Management Consultative Committee change the direction and goals from fire ant eradication to fire ant management?” he asked.

Australia’s red imported fire ant response – which began in 2001 – will have cost the federal, state and territory governments a combined $1.28 billion up to 2027, with the scope of the program now seen as out of control.

Mr Hope said insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen has been used more than a dozen times over his land.

said the bosses of the fire ant program have avoided telling him the exact number of times crews used treatments over his land.

“I want the fire ant program to instruct its field officers to cease activities and follow the precautionary principle, the principle of proportionality and the principle of primacy of prevention as per section 6A of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 regarding the distribution of these chemicals than the documented permit supplied by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority,” he said.

Mr Hold said his 10-acre block had never had fire ants and that helicopters, all-terrain vehicles and phalanxes of fire ant workers entered his property many times without permission and scared his animals by their presence.

He has questioned why helicopters would spray fire ant baits over dense tree canopies, dams and watercourses in which fire ants cannot live.

He wants the ants killed by injecting hot water directly into nests – a method he he now employs himself with a machine of his own.

Mental Health Practitioner Mr Hold runs three businesses from his property, Genesis Novel Pastures and Agriculture, counselling and personal empowerment business Amber Resolve, and an advocacy management for clients experiencing mental health challenges because of the fire ant program – the Australian Advocacy Group.

He said the treatment of properties without fire ants must be halted.

“The well-being of the livestock and animals in my care, living

on my private property, deserve clean, toxic free, drinking water and every effort should be made to ensure zero risk of pollution occurs to the supply of their water,” he said.

Department rejects claims over ants response

THE National Fire Ant Eradication Program and the Department of Primary Industries say they have provided “several responses to Mr Hold regarding his concerns about fire ant eradication treatment”.

“In response to Mr Hold’s specific concerns about the death of his livestock, the Program engaged an independent expert toxicologist to investigate the safety of fire ant treatments for mammals and assess Mr Hold’s supplied veterinary records. 

“The independent expert toxicologist confirmed that pyriproxyfen and S-methoprene have very low acute toxicity to mammals based on previous studies. 

“The risk of adverse effects is negligible when products are used in accordance with their label directions. 

“Importantly, the toxicologist also confirmed that ‘the results of this evaluation indicate that neither pyriproxyfen nor S-methoprene (and their associated ant bait products) are likely to be responsible for the observed disease in calves’. 

“The Program provided Mr Hold with the full independent assessment.

“The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority assesses, registers and/or permits all fire ant treatment products ensuring safety for people, animals, and the environment. S-methoprene is the preferred treatment around or near water bodies.

“Before starting eradication treatment, the Program works with property owners or tenants to create safe and effective treatment plans that consider buildings, gardens, animals, green spaces, livestock, waterbodies, and other special requirements.”

Mr Hold replied: “The Program continually fails to provide adequate responses or suitable resolve on both issues associated with my commercial interests and associated with hundreds of my clients who are experiencing significant harm from the Program.”