While New South Welshmen live in fear of the toad hopping over the border, Invasive Species Council CEO Andrew Cox said this is unlikely.

However, another toad – identified in the council’s ‘dirty dozen’– a list of 12 of the most invasive and potentially destructive plants and animals to have evaded environmental border controls – could potentially find home in our backyards.

Mr Cox said all it would take is an unknowing holiday maker for the Asian black spined toad to find its way to our shores. 

“They are frequently detected at our sea and air borders,” Mr Cox said.

“All it would take is for someone from the region to go on holiday to Thailand, take off their boots and put them on the veranda outside and a toad could then jump in and then present on the other side.” 

Mr Cox said an Asian black spined-toad specimen that had been found in a furniture container in Belrose in Sydney and another had been found in Perth in recent months.

Another species Mr Cox identified as a potential invader was the red imported fire ant which was currently forming colonies in the south of Brisbane. 

“If they spread they could spread to the Southern Highlands as the climate is suitable,” he said.

“15 per cent of the [eradication] project has been contributed from the NSW government to stop the spread.”

Another example from the ‘dirty dozen’ which Mr Cox said has the potential to spread is the North American native red-eared slider turtle which have been found in the George’s River in Sydney.

“People keep them illegally as pets and they are escape artists,” he said.

“Also they bit so people tend to dump them.”

While some invaders may be at the door step, others may well and truly be here.

Mr Cox said myrtle rust, a fungal plant from South America, was probably already present in the Southern Highlands and in the Southern Tablelands.

“There is silver perch in the Wollondilly River, which is highly aggressive and highly invasive, and that would have started as an aquarium fish,” he said.

He added that often the modelling used to predict the spread of an invasive species was not entirely accurate.

“Without the natural predators they [species] can often spread more aggressively and into areas they may not normally have,” he said.

Other species which made the list included the Asian honey bee, the avian bornaviruses, the emerald furrow bee, the jack dempsey cichlid, Mexican feather grass, pigeon paramyxovirus, the smooth newt and the yellow crazy ant.

More information can be found online at invasives.org.au.