Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER council has ramped up its war on mosquitoes with delivery of the Argo Frontier—an amphibious, all-terrain vehicle.

The vehicle will give the city’s crack Mosquito Control Unit access to otherwise inaccessible breeding sites: “It was difficult and sometimes dangerous for MCU officers to access areas with pit falls, snakes and heavy mud,” mayor Sylvan Albert says.

By getting to hard-to-reach breeding areas numbers should be considerably reduced, minimising nuisance to residents and protecting the community from Ross River and Barmah Forest virus.

The $30,000 vehicle is a first for WA but has been used successfully by the Queensland Health Department since the 1970s. The mayor is hoping nearby councils will adopt Bayswater’s approach to help beat mozzies.