Charters Towers flying fox plague plan

A total of $2.7 million will be provided over four years for council, CSIRO and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) to try to manage the roost in Charters Towers and other impacted North Queensland towns.

Up to $900,000 of the funding will be used to trial innovative management approaches in Charters Towers.

DES is working closely with CSIRO to research flying-fox movements and behaviour, with a focus on North Queensland.

DES plans to use the findings of this research to work with council to develop and trial different flying-fox roost management measures.

Charters Towers was ground zero for the critters last December, with up to 200,000 flying foxes invading the town, prompting the closure of Lissner Park and the town’s swimming pool.

The invasion prompted protests from fed-up residents, who were concerned about potential disease.

Two new committees were set up to deal with the problem, which scientists said was due to flowering plants.

Charters Towers Mayor Liz Schmit welcomed the funding, but warned there was no quick fix.

“Having this funding available to us for flying fox management is a great outcome for our region,” Cr Schmidt said.

“It means we can move forward on trialling various management options and experimenting over the next six months.

“Flying fox management is a complex issue. We don’t want to rush in and spent the funding without first looking at the research and seeing what can be done. A lot of money has already been used, unsuccessfully, to get rid of the bats.

“We also don’t want to make the situation worse by dispersing flying-fox into neighbouring houses, schools and parks. For most of the year, they are contained in Lissner Park.

“Charters Towers is leading the way in collaborating between Local and State Governments, research bodies and community representatives through the Advisory Committee. We will be used as a hub to trial possible solutions.”