Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon issued an appeal in the Parliament today for more to be done about the Hunter’s flying fox problem.
Mr Fitzgibbon described the flying fox plague as an issue that goes well beyond amenity and is posing a health threat to elderly residents with respiratory problems.
Mr Fitzgibbon also lamented ANZAC Day and other memorial services could no longer be held in Singleton’s Burdekin Park because of the presence of flying foxes.
“The problem is in Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton and many other communities in my electorate. I know there are environmental issues. I do not plead to be completely ignorant of them, but let us get out there and explain to the community how and why we are going to do more about this very serious problem in rural and regional Australia”, he told the Parliament.
MONDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY 2016
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If you open up Google Maps in Satelllite mode, you will see where the lovely big trees are…right in the middle of country towns. Flying foxes require water which they can skim in order to drink. What country town is NOT built on a river? It’s a no brainer.
Access to riparian zones by graziers has led to a massive loss of riverside trees. Exclusion of cattle & sheep for a short period allows regeneration. Does it without any other assistance.
Flying foxes, like koalas, are unable to live in the vast vegetated areas you see from planes. Water is essential.
If your comments were directed to Aboriginal people, who were here, like our native animals, for a very long time prior to European settlers, then the foolishness would be evident.
There is no risk in breathing the air around a camp and no more danger from flying fox droppings around a park than from bird droppings.
Please see this report from Qld Health for factual medical information:
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableoffice/tabledpapers/2012/5412t1838.pdf – Section 3, from p9