Fire Ants, Fill Movement and ReadyFill: Setting the Record Straight
There’s a concern that occasionally surfaces in the earthworks community: that platforms connecting fill providers with tip sites — like ReadyFill — are contributing to the spread of fire ants across Queensland.
It’s a fair thing to raise. Fire ants are a serious biosecurity threat, and the industry has a responsibility to take it seriously. But the concern, as it’s usually expressed, misunderstands what the law actually says.
What the law actually says
Queensland’s fire ant movement controls are set by the Biosecurity Act 2014, the Biosecurity Regulation 2016, and the fire ant movement control rules administered through the National Fire Ant Eradication Program. There are two zones — Zone 1 (higher restriction) and Zone 2 — and the rules on what you can move where are specific.
Zone 1 soil can be moved:
- Within Zone 1
- From Zone 1 to Zone 2
- To an approved waste facility in Zone 1 or Zone 2
Zone 2 soil can be moved:
- Within Zone 2
- To an approved waste facility in Zone 2
Neither requires a Biosecurity Instrument Permit (BIP) provided the movement complies with the General Biosecurity Obligation and the prescribed movement conditions.
What does require a permit: moving Zone 2 soil into Zone 1, or moving soil from any zone to outside all zones.
What operators must actually do
For a legal intra-zone movement, operators must comply with the General Biosecurity Obligation — meaning they must take all reasonable steps to avoid spreading fire ants. In practice, that means choosing one of three lawful pathways:
- Move the soil within 24 hours of delivery, or
- Follow the fire ant management steps for soil (inspecting excavation areas, treating any nests found, disturbing stockpiles, cleaning machinery), or
- Move directly to an approved waste facility
There is no blanket requirement for a certified inspector to sign off on every load. That may be required by specific sites, councils, or principal contractors — but it is not universally imposed by the regulation for all intra-zone movements.
Where does ReadyFill fit into this?
ReadyFill connects excavators with tip sites and property owners. Those connections happen between real, identified parties at known locations — which means operators can confirm zone status before agreeing to any movement.
If a fill provider in Zone 1 connects with a tip site in Zone 2, that movement is legal without a permit. If both parties are in Zone 2, same outcome. The fill would be moving regardless — ReadyFill just makes the connection faster and more visible than a Facebook post or a phone call around the industry.
If anything, connecting known parties with documented locations creates more traceability than the alternatives — not less.
The bottom line
The fire ant concern raised about ReadyFill assumes the platform enables illegal movement. It doesn’t. What it enables is faster connection between operators who are — like all operators — responsible for understanding the zone they’re in and moving accordingly. That responsibility exists with or without ReadyFill.
Know your zone. Follow the movement conditions. If in doubt, check fireants.org.au — the zones are updated monthly and the current rules are published there.
Compliant operators have nothing to worry about. And ReadyFill is not the problem.