Council would like to clarify the front page article in the Bayside Bulletin on Tuesday, 2 April in which it was claimed Redland City Council was defying the Queensland Government by not removing flying-fox colonies.
Council was approached by the Bayside Bulletin to comment on an article in which Premier Campbell Newman discussed the State Government removing flying-fox colonies and charging Councils in return.
In response, Council correctly stated that management of flying-foxes comes under State Government jurisdiction. Council also stated that it had not been approached by the Premier or State Government to take on the management of flying-foxes. As such, Council is unable to comment on the form such management would take. Council has not had the opportunity, nor the reason at this time, to debate the issue.
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Council has developed operational guidelines for undertaking operational work in and around roost sites to ensure compliance with State Government legislation.
If there was a public safety issue regarding flying-foxes in the Redlands, Council would take the necessary steps to remedy the situation.
Council officers have identified 16 flying-fox roost sites in the Redlands – all but one of these are temporary and the number of flying-foxes that use them, how often, and for how long, is governed by environmental and climatic conditions.
All flying-foxes and their roost sites are protected under state legislation (The Nature Conservation Act 1992). The Grey-headed Flying-fox is also protected by federal legislation and is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).
