2014-06-17 Infrastructure and Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                17 JUNE 2014


    is used for agricultural purposes or in sewerage treatment plants. It should be noted that
    the bat smell is temporary and will cease after mating season.
    Cleaning services: Residents often complain of pavements and outdoor areas being
    stained from bat droppings. Incentives, such as rebate for cleaning services, could be
    made available to residents in close proximity to the roost.
    Mitigation is cheaper and more environmentally acceptable than options such as dispersal
    or destruction of habitat.
    Budget:
         Mitigation Action                                    Budget
         Primary Option 2A
         Education campaign                                   In house wages budget
         Noise management (widen fire trail buffer)           $5000
         Dead or dying bat collection service                 In house wages budget
         Total                                                $5000
         Secondary Option 2B
         Odour management (experimental)                      $3,600
         Cleaning services rebate (pavements of 100 most      $30,000
         affected neighbouring properties cleaned once per
         week)
         Total                                                $33,600
         Total (including secondary actions)                  $38,600

    Note that there is currently no budget allocation for Option 2A or 2B.

    c.    Option 3 Dispersal
    Dispersal of flying foxes involves rendering the camp unsuitable for roosting through
    intervention with noise, light and smoke; or vegetation clearing. Other Councils throughout
    Australia have had mixed results with dispersals with costs ranging from $45,000 up to
    $3,000,000. The most effective dispersals have involved extensive clearing of habitat.
    Dispersals are high risk and can splinter the colony into other residential areas, creating
    greater conflict with residents.
    Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) has undertaken dispersal activities at Cassia Avenue,
    Coolum Beach. SCC is hoping that the dispersal activities of smoke, noise and lighting
    would disperse the flying foxes into vegetation to the north of Coolum and away from
    residential areas. Although not confirmed, the dispersal appears to have driven most of the
    flying foxes south to Palmers Resort, Coolum. Recent reports indicate that some of the
    flying foxes have returned to Cassia Avenue. Advice from Sunshine Coast Council is that
    cost of the three week dispersal was $90,000, not including planning and administrative
    costs before and after the dispersal. Flying Fox numbers at Wallace Park have been
    building since late April, and therefore the increase in numbers cannot be entirely attributed
    to the Cassia Avenue dispersal which started later on 1 May 2014.
    Destruction of a flying fox roost in the Wallace Park Environment Reserve, through
    vegetation clearing, or the culling of bats, are not acceptable solutions. In particular the
    Grey-Headed Flying Fox is listed as a vulnerable species under the Commonwealth
    Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
    Based on the Sunshine Coast Council Coolum Beach dispersal, and in consideration of the
    complexities of the Wallace Park site, and with a much larger population of bats, it is
    anticipated that a dispersal would cost $150,000.
    Dispersal is high risk and not a recommendation of this report.
    Budget: $150,000
    Note that there is no budget allocation for Option 3.

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