QLD Fire Ant Field Officers

After a nearly year-long campaign, the AWU has successfully secured 150 permanent public sector jobs for AWU members in the fight to protect Australia from the Red Imported Fire Ant.

The National Fire Ant Eradication program was launched in mid-2023, after Commonwealth and all State and Territory governments unanimously supported a new $600 million, four-year plan to eradicate fire ants from Australia.

Frontline field officers are currently treating areas in Moreton Bay, Lockyer Valley, and the Gold Coast. Their efforts have stopped potential spreading of thousands of kilometres across the East Coast.

Ten months ago, the AWU embarked on a grassroots campaign – led by Delegate Adele McNab and AWU Organiser Wayne Lambert – to secure permanent, secure jobs for the workers on the ground. Despite the important work they do protecting Australia’s flora and fauna, Fire Ant Field Officers have been nearly entirely casual workers, employed through various labour hire companies.

The union argued the national investment into the program, the four-year timeframe, and the important skills and training of the frontline workers warranted a professional workforce with permanent, stable employment.

Now, with the support of Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, 150 permanent jobs have been secured in the program. Casualised, labour-hire workers will have the opportunity to transfer to direct employment with the Queensland Government.

This comes after David Littleproud, under the previous Coalition Government, slashed 45 front line workers from the program – another reason why AWU members fought hard for permanent roles.

As well as access to strong public sector entitlements and job security, workers will now have the commitment of regular wages, when previously bad weather or roster changes could have left them unable to pay the bills.

This win reaffirms the AWU’s commitment to safe work, permanent jobs and fair wages for union members across Queensland.

AWU Queensland Branch Secretary Stacey Schinnerl says this is an important win for public sector workers. “Nobody knows more about the existential risk of the fire ant threat than frontline workers in the National Fire Ant Eradication Program,” she says.

“Over the past year, AWU members on the frontline have been campaigning for greater job security in the program.”

“This change will ensure that existing workers who have been engaged on temporary contracts for a long period of time will be able to apply for a public sector role in the program, and can access the Queensland’s Government public sector entitlements.

“This is the kind of announcement that changes lives – quality public sector conditions deliver benefits like access to annual leave, better job security and easier access to bank loans.

“Since our members came to Minister Furner with this issue last year, he has been relentless in fighting to expand the Program – I’d like to thank Minister Furner and Minister Watt for making this a reality.”