Wildlife carers and golf course contractors are continuing urgent works at the Noosa Golf Club driving range, with the top sections of netting being removed today following ongoing bat entanglements.
Rescuers from Wildlife Noosa have been monitoring the nets daily, conducting inspections from about 5am each morning in a bid to free flying foxes caught in the high mesh panels.
Entangled bats have been rescued using a lift funded by the golf course, significantly improving response times and safety for volunteers working at height.
Club president Dale Officer said a rigging crew was on site this morning pulling down the top two sections of netting.
“This operation will take about two days,” he said.
“The netting will be down for about two months, prior to being reinstalled and 130 reflectors fitted.”
Mr Officer said the works were costing the club thousands of dollars but were necessary to address the issue.
Wildlife Noosa has installed temporary reflectors supplied by Wildcare in the upper nets in an effort to deter bats from flying into them. However, the measures have not proven effective, with entanglements continuing despite the added visibility.
The golf course is now installing additional reflectors and has advised that lighting will remain on the nets for a further two weeks. Tension adjustments are also being made across all net panels to reduce sagging and minimise the risk of bats becoming caught.
While the number of incidents has dropped significantly since a recent mass entanglement event, one to two bats are still becoming trapped every other day.
The driving range is closed today during the removal works. It is not yet known when it will reopen, with the upper netting expected to remain down for up to two months while an alternative long-term solution is explored. Details of the replacement system have not yet been confirmed.
Wildlife carers will continue daily monitoring while mitigation efforts remain in place.
