July 10, 2014
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester will continue to advocate for Bairnsdale residents dealing with flying-foxes roosting near residential areas.
Mr Chester attended a community meeting in Bairnsdale last night, which updated local residents on the difficulties in managing the Grey-Headed Flying-Foxes, which are roosting in poplar trees along Riverine Street.
The large number of flying foxes has presented health, odour and noise concerns for residents, while trees in the area are in poor condition.
Mr Chester said the meeting was very productive and commended the National Bat Solution Group, in particular Chairman John Glynn, for arranging the event.
“It was clear from the expert advice given at the meeting that there is no easy fix and finding a long-term solution is complicated,” Mr Chester said.
“Flying-foxes are in effect using Bairnsdale as a ‘hotel’ on their way to other roosting sites along the eastern seaboard and moving the bats on from one area won’t necessarily stop them from returning in another area closer to the township.”
A motion with four key recommendations was passed at the meeting asking Mr Chester to lobby his federal counterparts on a range of issues related to the management of flying foxes.
Mr Chester said he was happy to take up the recommendations and would continue to seek further assistance from relevant Ministers on finding a longer-term solution.
“The Federal Government is already working with the states to streamline management arrangements for flying‐fox roost sites, which will make the process easier for local communities to navigate,” he said.
“One of the proposals is a ‘one-stop shop’ approval process for removing roosting sites near residential areas. This will allow the states to take control of the assessment and approval process, without the need for the Federal Government to get involved.”
Mr Chester said the Grey-Headed Flying-Fox was currently listed as a threatened species, but new research was being done to review population numbers.
“Once complete, this population data will then be considered by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, allowing it to make an informed decision as to whether the flying-foxes should retain their protected species status,” Mr Chester said.
The meeting also received briefings from CSIRO scientist Dr David Westcott, who is leading the National Flying-Fox Monitoring Program. East Gippsland Shire Council Director of Community & Planning Kate Nelson updated residents on what the shire was doing as the responsible crown land manager in removing non-native vegetation to discourage the flying-foxes from returning to the roosting sites.