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12 August 2025. 

 

Situation summary

  • Seasonal conditions have created the potential for the first locust plague in Queensland for more than 20 years.
  • Outbreaks of migratory locusts are currently occurring in the Aramac, Muttaburra, Corfield, Longreach areas in Central Western Queensland and Hughenden and Prairie in North Queensland.
  • The Department of Primary Industries is coordinating a comprehensive response and is regularly meeting with local government, peak bodies (including AgForce), the Australian Plague Locust Commission, and others to leverage expertise, identify priority areas and deploy effective treatment strategies.
  • The next hatching event is expected to occur in early August. Treatment in the nymph stage is the key opportunity for intervention, with each subsequent generation potentially having a multiplier effect.

Landholder Action and Reporting is Essential

  • Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, landholders have a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to control locust populations on their properties. Vigilance and early control intervention are critical to preventing locust populations from reaching plague proportions.
  • Landholders are advised to report outbreaks to Biosecurity Queensland through the dedicated ‘Locust sightings form’: www.arcg.is/0ymOrb or by using the QR code

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Alternatively, reports can be made by:

Reports will inform planning and control efforts, with information provided to local councils to assist with early detection and management strategies.

Information correct as at 8 August 2025.