Fire ants could be spreading on Australian military bases due to ‘massive surveillance failure’, experts say

Exclusive: Invasive Species Council demands audit of all defence sites after red imported fire ants detected at Swartz Barracks outside Queensland containment zone

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Defence bases pose a huge risk" when it comes to stopping the spread of invasive fire ants in Australia, with experts suggesting there has been a massive surveillance failure" on the commonwealth-owned properties.

Fire ants have been detected at eight defence sites in Queensland. Seven are within the state's 700,000-hectare fire ants containment zone, which stretches from the Gold Coast to Caboolture.

Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup