Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie Council’s are set to receive more than $39,000 to help manage flying fox roosts in the community.
Their three of 10 projects across Queensland who will receive a share in more than $200,000 in funding to support the protection of flying-fox roosts while mitigating noise, odours and damage to crops.
Local councils will use the grants to tailor their flying-fox programs to suit their communities and support projects including the development of long-term roost management plans, vegetation management and training for council staff.
Sunshine Coast Regional Councils will receive $17,000 for stakeholder engagement and creation of new flying-fox communication strategy to be included in the 10-year SCRC Regional Flying-fox Roost Management Plan.
Gympie Regional Council will use their $9,744 to revegetate a roost site at Widgee Crossing while Noosa Shire Council set to receive $12,914 for the provision of a flying-fox roost monitoring program and for a council staff training program in monitoring flying-foxes by an environmental consultant.
Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard says despite flying-foxes playing a vital ecological role, from time-to-time, negative flying-fox and human interactions can occur around urban roost sites, particularly when flying-fox numbers increase rapidly in a particular location.
“The Palaszczuk Government recognises the need for flying-foxes to be managed in a way that addresses both community expectations regarding the need for local amenity and the long-term conservation of these species in the wild,” says Ms Linard.
“These ten new projects will assist councils in managing and enhancing flying-fox habitat, developing long-term roost management plans for their local government areas and providing localised grant schemes for residents and businesses impacted by individual flying-fox roosts.”
