Council is increasing pressure on state and federal governments to allow it to take on the fallout of protected species. Source: Gympie Regional Council.
Residents bombarded by daily screeching, filth and a suffocating stench may finally get relief, with an Aussie council approving a plan that could trigger a dramatic government buyback of homes.
The shock plan would force the government into considering a radical overhaul of the way protected species are dealt with if their behaviour becomes unliveable – or hazardous – to humans.
MORE: Major bank scraps LMI, flags deposits as low as $31k
Aussie cycling giant 99 Bikes sparks multimillion-dollar windfall
A large Flying Fox colony that’s taken over a street in Blackbutt.
Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig has set the ball rolling to change how protected species area are tackled at a local level.
Gympie Regional Council mayor Glen Hartwig put forward the five-part proposal, which comes after years of residents being impacted by a thriving flying fox colony that has all but taken over the area.
In a statement, he said they’d done everything from deterrents like specialised sprinklers to “gently encourage flying foxes to move to less sensitive areas within the roost” to modifying buildings to reduce bat stench and noise, cleaning and equipment, protective covers for outdoor areas and tree management on private properties – none of which have made a dent in the daily misery for locals.
“On a number of occasions, I’ve visited residents who live close to the roost and seen first-hand how difficult it can be to live with the constant noise, smell, and disruption that comes with a large flying-fox colony.”
Mr Hartwig told Yahoo News Australia “the excrement the bats leave makes it impossible for them to open their windows and doors. They can’t have their friends and family come over, so they feel very much isolated. And the constant noise is having a significant impact on their mental health.”
Bats that moved in to the Gympie Creek area. Picture: Craig Wahurst/The Gympie Times
It does give councils “as-of-right: authority to manage flying fox roosts in urban areas, strictly non-lethal and following a strict ecologically sustainable code of practice, and can apply for a management permit
The Gympie Flying Fox roost at Commissioner’s Gully.
Mr Hartwig said residents “continue to deal with significant impacts daily” with the mayor putting up a co-ordinated, all-levels-of-government five-step plan to address the situation which requires not just council action, but a rethink by all levels of government in tandem.
Native bats are a protected species under the state’s Nature Conservation Act 1992, with the Queensland government stating: “It is an offence to kill, injure, or interfere with a bat or its roost, and substantial penalties can apply”.
“This case highlights the urgent need for higher levels of government to reform legislation so that people’s wellbeing and livelihoods take priority over flying-foxes, a key component of what council wants included in the proposed new plan.”
His five part Commissioners Gully Flying-Fox Roost Management and Dispersal Plan, carried by council on October 29, involves requests for federal and state government funding to cover vegetation management and dispersal costs, major vegetation management and flying fox dispersal activities, state and federal legislative changes to reconsider flying fox management limits, broader community engagement on the issue and potentially paying residents to relocate in a mass buyback if governments refuse to touch the roost.
“We’re aiming for outcomes that are environmentally responsible, financially realistic and most importantly, responsive to the needs of those residents who have been seeking a resolution for many years, ” Cr Hartwig said.
English (US) · 