VENUE: EcoCentre, Griffith University, University Road Nathan
parking $6 cash first car parks on your left (K, L, F and E) are located next to the EcoCentre
Flying-foxes, bats, fruit bats, megabats, whatever they are called they are one of the most recognisable species in Australia. They are a common sight in many regional and urban areas at dusk as they leave their camps along waterways or dense vegetation to forage up to 50 kilometres away in their search for food. They are pollinators of a variety of native plants and a dispersal agent of seeds.
Flying-foxes are gregarious animals that can disrupt people sleeping and camps produce strong odours, which make adjacent living difficult. They are also protected species, including some that are threatened, and management of camps requires approaches that are ethical, humane and will not negatively impact on each population.
Areas of concern about flying-fox camps that will be addressed in this forum:
Public perception – flying-foxes are seen to some as pests akin to cane toads and rats;
Residents have been told that dispersal is the only option to manage flying-foxes and that the problem will go away;
Ethical considerations about dispersing camps and impacts on individuals and social order;
Lack of a national approach to management of camps and placing the burden of management on local governments.
Site Tour – 6 September 2016
Flying-fox camp Site Tour.
Spend the afternoon with us visiting flying-fox camps within the Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC).
Stop 1 Emerald Woods (Mooloolaba) - SCRC have developed a Regional Flying-Fox Management Plan, which has Council, State and Federal Government approval as a Conservation Agreement. This long-term plan details how council will manage urban flying-fox roosts into the future. At Emerald Woods, SCRC has completed Stage 1 of works including a 10 metre buffer from nearby residential properties. A 30 metre vegetation buffer was created behind the primary impacted property and a trial of canopy mounted sprinklers in this area is currently being undertaken.
Stop 2 - to be announced soon.
This tour will leave from the Brisbane Sofitel, 249 Turbot Street, Brisbane at 1pm sharp and will return to the same location at 5pm. Join us afterwards at the Central Hotel for an informal gathering to discuss the days event.
Our bus will be supplied by Kangaroo Bus Lines. Their 37 seat belted bus has been locally manufactured by Denning Manufacturing Australia. Built in 2011, the vehicle has a Euro 5 Compliant (EGR) engine. The use of AdBlue reduces emissions.
Forum – 7 September 2016 - Threatened Species Day
This forum will explore the various management regimes in operation in primarily Queensland and New South Wales with the aim of producing a national strategy for management of flying-fox camps.
This forum explores:
The effectiveness of dispersal programs based on the speakers' experiences.
Presentation of data to support alternative measures.
Factors that affect the effectiveness and success rate of camp management measures.
Speakers include:
John Martin – Wildlife Ecologist, Sydney Botanical Gardens
Dave Westcott - CSIRO
Mike Roache – Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)
Peggy Eby – Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of NSW
The day will be structured as follows.
Session 1 – Keynotes
Session 2 – Keynotes and Panel discussion
Session 3 – Lunch and Poster Session
Session 4 – Speed Talks
Session 5 – Workshop
Drinks and canapes
The Forum will be held at the EcoCentre at Griffith University. For directions, click here. For information on car parking, click here. Please note that parking is $6 per day and can only be paid with cash.
To register, follow the online registration below or click here to download the flyer.
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