Latest news with #biosecurity
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Porton Down science labs move 'a hammer blow', says Salisbury MP
A Wiltshire MP has criticised the government's decision to go forwards with a plan to move a major science and defence facility from his constituency to Glen, the Conservative MP for Sailsbury, said news on Thursday the UK Health Security Agency laboratories at Porton Down would closes was a "hammer blow" for his government has pledged to bring the UK Security Agency's centres to one site as it creates a large facility aimed at protecting the country from future pandemics. The Wiltshire facility's move was first announced in 2015, but was postponed due to spiralling costs. The government has pledged a "multi-billion pound" investment to make the National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) in Harlow the largest of its kind in Europe by bringing the agency's existing centres in London and Wiltshire to one site. Visiting Harlow, Health Secretary Wes Streeting had said: "Covid-19 taught us how crucial it is to be able to respond quickly to new emerging threats and the new NBC will allow us to do exactly that."But Glen said he was "beyond disappointed" that the government had chosen to go ahead with the move, calling it a "vanity project" which failed to recognise "Porton Down's existing expertise". The MP added what may have been a "marginally good decision to make 10 years ago", was now floored due to the significant increase in costs."In 2015 it was going to cost £525 million, and it would all be done by 2021."Now it's going to cost £3.2 billion, and it will be done by 2035 to 2038."What I was saying to the secretary of state, was pause and think again, refurbish Porton. Stop this mega plan in Harlow, because it's so many years away and it's an enormous waste of taxpayers' money."Glen said he will continue to ask "questions about the cost of the project", and will be working with Wiltshire Council to build up a taskforce to look at what to do with the Porton Down site. Following the announcement, Streeting said that "the transformational investment in the UK's national biosecurity will better protect the British public from future health emergencies, boost the life sciences sector and create new jobs."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
New National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow aims to fight pandemics
A new science centre is being built which aims to help protect the UK from future government has pledged a "multi-billion-pound" investment to make the National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) in Harlow, Essex, the largest of its kind in Europe by bringing the UK Health Security Agency's existing centres in London and Wiltshire to one agency's scientists research pathogens and boost vaccine production in an attempt to prepare for potential global disease threats. Visiting Harlow, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Covid-19 taught us how crucial it is to be able to respond quickly to new emerging threats and the new NBC will allow us to do exactly that." The government said the UKHSA would continue operating from Colindale in north-west London and Porton Down in Wiltshire until the new centre in Harlow was fully up and running, to ensure a safe and effective transition. About 1,600 jobs will be created to support construction of the Harlow site and it would enable closer collaboration between scientists, the government first facilities are expected to open by the mid-2030s with the site fully operational by 2038."Harlow will become a scientific hub, with the National Biosecurity Centre exploring new ways to treat illnesses, improve people's health and save more lives," said Streeting."By backing innovation, research and life sciences, we will make our NHS fit for the future, and cement the UK as a life sciences superpower."The government said "of the total multi-billion investment in the centre, £250m will be spent by the government over this Parliament alone to kickstart delivery". "The exact total amount of funding for the centre will be confirmed in due course," a spokesperson added. It was hoped the NBC would create partnerships between scientists in the industry and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to pursue new Harlow site would have laboratories that would be used to study dangerous and new Alsop, interim UKHSA chief executive, said: "This is fantastic news for the UK and will mean that we can continue to offer the best possible protection for people's health for generations to come."The announcement follows a government pledge to spend £1bn upgrading a centre that researches animal diseases in Weybridge, Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory site at Porton Down was not affected by this new development and would remain operational. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Toxic, highly invasive pest plant found at Far North beach
Te Haumihi kaimahi Herbert Readon and Debbie Brown remove sea spurge from a newly-discovered site at Kapowairua/Spirits Bay. Photo: Supplied / Desmond Greer A toxic, highly invasive pest plant that has already taken over large swathes of the Australian coast has been discovered at Kapowairua/Spirits Bay for the first time. The find, at the remote and significant Far North beach, has set alarm bells ringing because it's at least 60km from the nearest known infestation at Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe/Ninety Mile Beach. Northland Regional Council biosecurity manager Joanna Barr said the infestation was found by Ngāti Kuri's Te Haumihi team, whose members had been progressively surveying their rohe's coastline for the pest. Barr said sea spurge ( Euphorbia paralias ) was native to Europe, but had likely arrived on currents from Australia, where it was a major weed on the southern coast. The iwi's proactive surveillance work meant the invasive plant had been detected while still relatively small and in a contained area. Te Haumihi programme manager Melanie Dalziel said the find included more than 50 plants in a six-square-metre area. They included one large specimen, likely the original plant; 18 smaller but mature plants that had seeded; and 32 seedlings. Dalziel said it was "very disheartening" to find the plants, but fortunate they had been located and removed before spreading further. The team had now prioritised regular monitoring of beaches in the Ngāti Kuri rohe. Barr said the surveillance work behind the latest find was part of a management programme delivered in partnership with iwi and hapū, the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, and the Northland Regional Council. The invasive sea spurge plant showing the flowers and seedlings. Photo: Supplied During the past 12 months, 175km of Northland coastline had been surveyed, mainly on the west coast. She said sea spurge had now been found in seven places around Northland: Poutō Peninsula, Waipoua River mouth, Mitimiti, Ahipara, Waipapakauri, Hukatere and now Kapowairua/Spirits Bay. Plants in all those areas had been controlled, and the sites were checked every four months for new seedlings. Barr said sea spurge was causing major environmental damage at many Australian beaches, displacing native plants and changing natural sand movements. "It has the potential to overrun our native dune species and threaten the habitats of native birds," she said. It also produced a milky, toxic sap that could cause skin irritation and temporary blindness in people and animals. Barr said an adult plant could produce 5000 to 20,000 seeds per year, which travelled long distances on ocean currents. "This means there's an ongoing risk of seeds making their way over and establishing along our long coastline, with the west coast being most at risk." It was vital any sightings were reported, she said. Sea spurge looked like a small shrub and typically grew to 50cm in height, though it sometimes reached one metre. It had tightly packed leaves that were bluish-green in colour, with the stem often having a red tinge at the base. Its flowers were yellowish-green, petal-less and in clusters. Barr said anyone who thought they had found sea spurge should report it as soon as possible using the MPI hotline, 0800 80 99 66. "Take some clear photos and please don't disturb the plants as the sap is toxic, and you could also spread the seeds via your clothing and equipment." Finders should note the location as accurately as possible, ideally with GPS coordinates. Google Maps or the iNaturalist app could also be used to mark sites. Barr said the invasive sea spurge looked similar to the rare native spurge, waiūatua/waiū-o-Kahukura ( Euphorbia glauca ), but the native spurge had much larger leaves that are 30-80mm long. New Zealand linen flax ( Linum monogynum ) and the sand daphne/toroheke ( Pimelea villosa ) were also similar. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Specialist crews sent to Moranbah coal mine to hunt for more fire ant nests
Specialised crews have been deployed to hunt for more fire ant nests at a central Queensland coal mine as authorities work to determine how they got there. The invasive species was found at the Broadmeadow Coal Mine, a joint venture between BHP and Mitsubishi Development (BMA), last week. The mine near Moranbah is at least 700 kilometres outside the existing biosecurity control zone meant to contain the "super pest" in south-east Queensland. The National Fire Ant Eradication Program's general manager of operations Marni Manning said more crews arrived at the site this week. "We do have some plausible idea of where they've actually originated from, but at this point in time, it's subject to an investigation." For materials that can carry fire ants, such as plant matter, soil, turf and quarry materials, movement from inside the biosecurity zone is restricted. Ms Manning said experts would use genetic testing to determine where the ants came from and how they got to the mine site. "We're concerned that there's been a human-assisted movement," she said. The eight nests already destroyed were found close to the middle of the mine site and Ms Manning said testing would show if they were linked or originated separately. She said characteristics of the ant colony itself would determine the nest age, how long they had been on the mine site and what the risk was for surrounding properties. In a statement, a spokesperson for the mine's operators said keeping the community and their team safe was a top priority and they were working with the experts to support eradication efforts. Ms Manning said that included exploring the use of drones for treatment. "It's quite a significant area, it's got some long grass," she said. Alongside the destruction of the nests, the treatment includes the spreading of a pesticide designed to target any ants that were not in the nests when they were destroyed. "We undertake very strict surveillance out to 500 metres from the nest," Ms Manning said. "[We] treat as we go and then what we do is a targeted surveillance out to 2 kilometres." Surveillance and eradication work at the mine site will continue for at least the next two to three years before it can be declared fire ant free, and a program to help locals identify fire ants will also be rolled out. Aggressive and with a nasty sting, fire ants have the potential to cause severe allergic reactions, and further spread could cost the the economy billions. Part of at least 10 south-east Queensland council areas are now part of the eradication zone, which was first detected in Brisbane in 2001. Funded by federal, state and territory governments, it stretches from Caboolture north of Brisbane, west to the food bowl of the Lockyer Valley and south to near the New South Wales border. Within that area is a 650,000-hectare "suppression zone" funded solely by the Queensland government, which announced a $24 million boost in funding for that effort in March. Greenlife Industry Queensland represents the nursery and garden sector, which has faced significant challenges as a result of the movement restrictions placed on businesses inside the zone. Chief executive Colin Fruk said the discovery of pest in central Queensland was alarming. "The industry is really threatened by the expansion of fire ants across the regions … it is a very concerning thing," he said. "I think there's a lot more money and resources that need to go into solving the fire ant issue. "I don't think we'll get there under current funding unless there's some kind of radical new approach to eradicating the pest." Genetic testing is also underway on nests found at a property in Tweed Heads, south of the Queensland border, in early July. In June live fire ants were intercepted in Perth in Western Australia on a pallet from the biosecurity zone in Queensland, which had been expanded the same month.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Aussies warned as biosecurity 'disaster' threatens to spiral out of control
Authorities warn Australia faces a serious risk of losing the battle against its most formidable biosecurity threat if fire ant outbreaks continue at the current rate. Several breaches have been recorded across the country in recent weeks, with Invasive Species Council's Reece Pianta telling Yahoo News the "outlier detections" of fire ants are "starting to pile up" with the potential for devastating consequences. While authorities battle to contain the outbreak in southeast Queensland, an immature fire ant nest was found outside of the eradication zone on a property over the border in Tweed Heads, Northern NSW, earlier this month. Another nest of fire ants was discovered at a BHP coal mine in central Queensland last week. A third incident was reported thousands of kilometres away in Perth, Western Australia, when a staff member of a business spotted suspected fire ants on a pallet inside a shipping container that came from southeast Queensland on June 17. While each outbreak has been "intercepted and dealt with", what this signals to Pianta is that resources used to contain the discoveries are being distracted from what he argues should be our main priority — the eradication effort. "It's a clear indicator that more resources are needed to get the fire ant nests under control, otherwise we could lose our chance to protect Australia from fire ants forever," he warned. It's expected the invasive pest could devastate native wildlife populations, cut agricultural output by 40 per cent, and their excruciating stings could cause over 650,000 extra medical appointments every year. "We're talking about a potentially $2 billion economic impact, the potential of our native species going extinct and the potential of human fatalities if they get out of control," he warned. Fire ants were first detected in the Brisbane area in February 2001, but it's thought they may have arrived in the country up to 20 years earlier. It's not known exactly how they entered Australia, but it's suspected they arrived in shipping containers from America. Our climate and lack of natural predators make Australia a perfect home for fire ants, with the Invasive Species Council warning that more than 97% of Australia is a suitable climate for fire ants. If they are not eradicated, their impacts could surpass the damage done by our worst invasive pests, including feral cats, wild dogs, camels, foxes, rabbits, and cane toads. Eradicating fire ants "has to be" Australia's number one priority, Pianta said. "It affects so many parts of our society. If we can't deal with this problem, I don't see how we can deal with any of the other thousands of invasive species facing our country," he warned. "It's time for governments to understand this is a disaster. It's as bad for our country as any flood, fire or pandemic. This is an emergency and we are trying to deal with this problem with half measures, slow decision-making, and underfunding. It's time to get serious." While the government has spent $690m to contain and eradicate the species since 2001, Pianta argues it's simply not enough. "We've been warning for years now that there are simply too many fire ant nests inside the fire ant containment zone," he said. Pianta hopes to see extended treatment windows and innovative weather-resistant bait treatments used to contain the outbreak in the southeast of Queensland. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
