Flying foxes causing a fracas for councils

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CONTROVERSIAL: The issue of flying foxes and their dispersal was discussed on the final day of the Local Government Association of Queensland's annual conference.Contributed

A DEBATE flew into the local government sector today when councillors were in a flap about flying fox management.

Councillors agreed to lobby the State Government to provide statewide management recognising that flying foxes travel large distances across multiple local government boundaries.

As part of that, they will also seek funding to support the management of flying fox colonies and dispersal activities.
The motion, put forward at the Local Government Association of Queensland annual conference, passed with 163 for and 27 against amid plenty of debate.

Moreton Bay Regional Council deputy mayor Mike Charlton said people were suffering because of flying foxes throughout the state.

"We need to pass this motion, we need to redouble our efforts ... and we need to start today," he said.

"If it takes 20 years to find a solution that's better than starting next year and it still takes 20 years, there must be a way."

But Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington spoke against the motion and said dispersing flying foxes did not work.

"I appreciate absolutely that flying foxes do impact on urban environments and we have the same problem in Noosa but I can't support a motion that calls for active dispersal," he said.

"The problem with dispersals is the research has clearly shown that dispersals don't work, they make the matter worse."

Cr Wellington said if flying foxes were moved they found new roosts and then recolonised again.

Cr Matt Constance from Moreton Bay rebutted Cr Wellington. He said the issue required the State Government to help.


scargo · EASTERN HEIGHTS

Culling of the over populated areas of flying foxes is the only option.

Charters Towers main park in the city was filled with beautiful trees that was well over 100 years old. The flying foxes has killed a lot and the rest of the park is mostly unusable due to bats and their droppings.

Time to tell the Greenies and wildlife warriors to bugger off, or set up house in the middle of a colony and enjoy their lives.

Andrew_Jackson · BURPENGARY

After last STate Election Katter's AUstralian Party endeavoured to get both ALP and LNP to allow LOcal Government to deal with this type of vermin. Unfortunately both ALP and LNP thought that humans were less important than flying fox vermin.. THIs is a good argument for the electors of Condamine to vote for Katter candidate John Hill .

UNfortunately John is one of very few Katter candidates in South East QUeensland.

Flying FOx vermin have in ;last few years wrecked Redcliffe Botanic Gardens, turned Cairns Library in to a sewage farm, and destroyed large numbers of trees on banks of Water Park Creek in YEppoon. Yet eco-fascists still stand up for the vermin. THE same eco-fascists prefer crocks to eat old age pensioners than to place a bounty on every Crocodile slaughtered by hunters,

Andrew Jackson
apjackson@hotkey.net.au