Time to move on bats

SUNSHINE Coast Council has urged Noosa to follow in its steps after successfully relocating flying-foxes in Maroochydore.
After almost three years of planning, the Sunshine Coast Council used noise, smoke and lighting to move flying-foxes away from a residential area to the Eudlo Creek Conservation Area.
Sunshine Coast Councillor Jason O’Pray has told local media he encourages Noosa Council to follow his council’s example.
“I encourage the Noosa Council to educate themselves on the program and the biggest tip I could give them is to manage the expectations of the community because if you are going down that track, there are absolutely no guarantees as flying-foxes are, in the end, a wild animal,” he said.
However a Noosa Council spokesperson said the council had already begun implementing their own flying fox management plan.
“Noosa Council last year commissioned expert consultant Ecosure to provide flying-fox management advice,” they said.
“Ecosure’s recommendations formed the basis of a flying-fox management options report that council endorsed late last year.
“Ecosure recommended a range of actions to reduce the impact of flying-fox colonies on nearby residents, but reinforced council’s view that dispersal efforts are unlikely to achieve long-term results of removing flying foxes from a local area.”
The spokesperson said Ecosure’s report highlighted that dispersal attempts are expensive and ail to keep flying-foxes away with a great concern of potentially shifting flying-foxes into other residential areas.
“One of the most practical management actions for dealing with flying-foxes in residential areas is to increase the space between homes and the vegetation where the flying-foxes roost,” they said.
“Noosa Council completed vegetation work around the Wallace Park precinct last month, and is currently looking at a sprinkler system trial that can provide a further 15 metres of separation.”