Sunshine Coast Council hopes to uncover community knowledge about flying foxes to improve its future education and conservation efforts for the species, and is asking for feedback.
From August 22 to September 18, 2022, independent experts will conduct a survey, evaluate the answers and make recommendations to council on how to improve future flying fox communication to our community.
Sunshine Coast Council’s Natural Areas Conservation Officer Tyron de Kauwe said council was implementing a balanced approach to living with native wildlife in urban areas.
“Flying foxes – called keystone pollinators – play a critical role helping to keep our native forests healthy,” Mr de Kauwe said.
“More than 600 other species, including koalas, depend on them for survival.
“While council understands it can be difficult living near roosts at times, anecdotally we have found that educating our community on the importance of flying-foxes and their roosting habits has improved acceptance of the species.
“This results in less community angst when the flying fox visits our region each breeding and birthing season.
“Education is a key component of council’s Regional Flying Fox Management Plan (RFFMP), which has a range of clear council management options to best manage the species within the region.
“This plan is undergoing a 10-year review and as part of that we have engaged UniSC researchers to evaluate our conservation management communication and awareness campaigns.
“The online survey seeks our community’s view on human interactions with flying-foxes, awareness of council’s flying fox campaigns, and their understanding and opinions on flying foxes.”
“I encourage our community to fill in the survey before September 18 at haveyoursay.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.”
This project is funded by the Sunshine Coast Environment Levy and the Queensland State Government Department of Environment and Science Flying-Fox Roost Management – Local Government Grants Program (Round 1).
