PHOTO: About 50 bats will be fitted with trackers worth $5,000 each. (ABC News: Carla Howarth)
Little-red flying foxes will be tracked in Queensland under a new $2.7 million deal designed to manage troublesome roosts in urban areas.
About 50 bats will be fitted with GPS transmitters to understand how they move around the state, their roosting preferences, where they feed, and the factors that influence their behaviour.
The program will start later this year in Charters Towers, the gateway between the Cape York Peninsula where sometimes millions of little-red flying foxes spend winter before heading south in the warmer months in search of flowering eucalypt.
CSIRO scientists will attach the trackers, costing $5,000 each, using a collar designed to fall off after a few years.
Currently councils are permitted to move on roosts with water cannons, smoke machines, and loud noises, however, they have little control where they go to next.
Towns such as Kilcoy and Linville and areas on the Gold and Sunshine coasts have became hot-spots.
Environment Minister Steven Miles said the funding would be included in next week's state budget.
"We recognise that some flying fox roosts in built-up areas need intervention to protect residents from nuisance impacts such as smell and noise," he said.
"We also recognise the vital role played by flying foxes in pollinating native plants and maintaining forest health."
Australian Bat Clinic director Trish Wimberley said the research will help councils struggling with bat management.
"Eventually we might be able to start decommissioning a lot of these camps in the city and urban areas and get them away from people," she said.
"Hopefully we won't end up with a million little red bats in someone's backyard again.
"The more we keep our bats healthy, the more they will keep our environment healthy."
- Funds to tackle flying foxes - qt.com.au
Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said the additional funding over three years would be allocated in tomorrow's State Budget.
Ipswich has not been immune to flying fox concerns with large roosts detected in Yamanto, Woodend, Bundamba and Camira
As part of the program CSIRO scientists will fit little-red flying foxes with GPS transmitters to track their movements via satellite.
It will allow them to gain a greater understanding of their roosting preferences, where they feed and the factors that influence their behaviour.
The use of GPS transmitters and satellite monitoring will allow flying fox movements to be tracked and interpreted across thousands of kilometres.
Dr Miles said the government recognised the need to manage urban flying-fox roosts to address community concerns, while ensuring the long-term survival of these species in the wild.
"We recognise that some flying fox roosts in built-up areas need intervention to protect residents from nuisance impacts such as smell and noise," he said.
"While councils can move roosts on, they have no control over where they go next.
"So understanding their movements will make sure councils are not just shuffling a problem around their community, or to a neighbouring council."
Dr Miles said the government would continue to allow councils to take action to address local flying fox problems.
"Councils can carry out more intense urban roost management activities as long as they obtain a Flying-Fox Roost Management Permit from the Queensland Government," he said.
"We will review the flying-fox management framework and introduce changes as necessary.
"Any future decisions must be scientifically-sound and not put flying-fox populations at risk," he said.
- $2.7m to fit Queensland bats with trackers - brisbanetimes.com.au
Environment Minister Steven Miles announced on Saturday that $2.7 million had been included in Tuesday's budget to track bats.
About 50 of the creatures will be fitted with satellite monitors in a bid to understand where they go and what they do.
The trackers, which cost $5000 each, will be attached using a collar and are designed to fall off after a few years.
The remaining money will go towards understanding the data.
Dr Miles said the research would help local councils better manage flying fox roosts, which often cause problems for residents.
Australian Bat Clinic director Trish Wimberley said she hoped the trackers would be beneficial in letting them know if hundreds or thousands of bats were hanging out in a person's backyard.
"We can pre-empt that from happening," she said.
The research could eventually enable bat roosts to be moved away from residential areas.
Australian bats carry lyssavirus, which is a similar disease to rabies.
Ms Wimberley said it was important to understand people could not get the virus unless they touched a bat.
"If you do touch a bat there is a post-exposure rabies vaccination available, so nobody needs to die from a bat," she said.
Ms Wimberley said flying foxes were an important part of the ecosystem because they moved tree seeds to places where more could grow.
- Queensland bats to be tracked - news.com.au
Environment Minister Steven Miles announced on Saturday that $2.7 million had been included in Tuesday's budget to track bats.
About 50 of the winged creatures will be fitted with satellite monitors in a bid to understand where they go and what they do.
The trackers, which cost $5000 each, will be attached using a collar and are designed to fall off after a few years.
The remaining money will go towards understanding the data.
Dr Miles said the research would help local councils better manage flying fox roosts, which often cause problems for residents.
Australian Bat Clinic director Trish Wimberley said she hoped the trackers would be beneficial in letting them know if hundreds or thousands of bats were hanging out in a person's backyard.
"We can pre-empt that from happening," she said.
The research could eventually enable bat roosts to be moved away from residential areas.
Australian bats carry Lyssavirus, which is a similar disease to rabies.
Ms Wimberley said it was important for people to understand people could not get the virus unless they touched a bat.
"If you do touch a bat there is a post-exposure rabies vaccination available, so nobody needs to die from a bat," she said.
Ms Wimberley said flying foxes were an important part of the ecosystem because they moved tree seeds to places where more could grow.
- $2.7m to fit Queensland bats with trackers - smh.com.au
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