Depressed by poor profitability and lack of grower confidence, Queensland's cane output has been in steady decline for some years but we could see a dramatic surge if Singapore-based Wiolmar Group gets the nod for its bold bid to become Australia's biggest sugar producer.

Ingham's proposed $400million sugar, ethanol and power generation plant moved a step closer to reality this week with the Federal Government giving two green thubmbs up to the project.

The discovery of a colony of invasive electric ants at a playground at Yorkeys Knob has prompted an urgent warning from authorities that the pest could become endemic to the Far North.