Council Collaborates With State Government To Develop Flying Fox Action Plan

Gympie Regional Council is working collaboratively with the State Government to develop a plan of action to manage flying fox roosts in the region.

While flying foxes play an important role in pollinating many native plants, in some areas they are impacting on residents through the noise and smell of densely populated roosts in nearby trees.

Flying foxes are classified as protected wildlife in Queensland, and the State Government has a policy of taking a balanced approach to the management of their populations, issuing a Code of Practice for councils to adhere to.

Mayor Glen Hartwig says that complying with state and federal conditions means that the process hasn’t been as quick as Council or affected residents have hoped.

“While Council is aware of some of the issues our flying fox population is presenting to residents, we are acutely mindful of the important role flying foxes play in our ecosystem.”

“Staff will be out talking to affected residents as part of the planning process and to keep people informed of the actions we’ll be taking to deal with the flying fox population in their area.

“We’ve been talking to both levels of government to make sure we get it right.”

“Council has done a substantial amount of work to meet the criteria set by the Department of Environment and Science, and I’ve been talking to State Member for Gympie, Tony Perrett, about what assistance he might be able to provide,” he said.

Legislation restrictions mean roosts cannot be disturbed when flying foxes are pregnant or have dependent young. This is currently the case in the Gympie region.

Young flying foxes are able to fly from around 10 weeks of age, which should tie in with Council’s timing to implement a multi-pronged approach to managing the current situation.