Bat trees trouble
THE only way the enormous bat colony residing in the centre of Cairns will move on is if the heritage-listed trees they live in are allowed to be permanently cut down.
Cairns Regional Council has released its latest flying fox relocation management plan based on advice from environmental consultants.
The council has been seeking approval from state and federal governments to shift the bat camp at the City Library, which has at times had thousands of grey-headed and spectacled flying foxes roosting there.
The report, compiled by Cairns-based environmental consultancy NRA, says the Cairns Central Swamp would be a suitable relocation site for the flying foxes, however, the bats were likely to remain there only short term.
“There is also a high likelihood that the dispersed individual flying foxes will move to occupy other established flying fox colonies in the broader landscape (like Mount Sheridan and Gordonvale), or other new locations rather than the target site,” the report says.
“This will cause spectacled flying fox numbers to increase in these colonies, which may proliferate management issues more broadly within (council’s) jurisdiction.”
The report also says the only way to remove the City Library bat colony permanently would be to cut down all the tall, leafy trees in nearby parks and the streetscape.
“The removal of the trees is not permitted under heritage status of the site,” the authors said. “It is also unfavourable because the trees confer significant benefits to the urban landscape.”
A council spokesman said if the Cairns flying fox relocation management plan were approved, the council intended to proceed with the plan at an appropriate time.
Cairns and Far North Environment Centre director Lucy Graham said despite the issues with the dispersal plan, other councils had still gone ahead with similar flying fox management strategies.
“The main concern is that this will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said. “We’re looking at up to $400,000 just for the initial dispersal, but the ongoing deterrents will continue to cost ratepayers. (The council) hasn’t really demonstrated a pressing need for the dispersal.”