2015-10-13 Planning & Organisation Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 6 Draft Flying Fox Management Plan

    draft
1              Introduction
Noosa Council1 engaged Ecosure to develop a management options report for a flying-fox
roost at Wallace Park, Noosaville2.

This roost was first recorded in 2013, and all three flying-fox species found in South East
Queensland have been known to use the roost. Grey-headed (Pteropus poliocephalus)
(GHFF) and/or black flying-foxes (P. alecto) (BFF) have occupied the roost during every
monitoring event since it was first recorded, with seasonal influxes of the little red flying-fox
(P. scapulatus) (LRFF). The roost generally fluctuates from several hundred to 31,000
individuals. However, an influx of an estimated 465,000 LRFF in February 2014 saw numbers
peak at almost 468,000.

Council has received a number of complaints from residents and businesses surrounding the
park in relation to the roost, reporting primarily amenity and financial impacts, and to some
extent fear of disease.

In addition to Council, there are a number of stakeholders with a keen interest in the site and
flying-fox roost. These stakeholders include:

       •     surrounding residents
       •     surrounding businesses, including the bowling club, resort and hospital
       •     Noosa Parks Association (NPA), including the NPA Botany Group and Bird
             Observers Group
       •     Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA)
       •     Wallace Park Bushland Care Association
       •     Flying-fox Rescue and Release Noosa Inc.
       •     Ringtail Creek Flying-fox Sanctuary.

Ecosure assessed the site on 26th August 2015. This assessment focused on identifying the
roost extent at the time, traversing the site, and initial consultation with a small number of
residents and some of the above stakeholders. An additional visit on 17th September provided
further detail on roost size (i.e. number of flying-fox) and species composition.




1
    Herein referred to as ‘Council’
2
    Herein referred to as the ‘site’

Flying-fox roost management options                                              ecosure.com.au | 1