FAQ

The purpose of the Whitsunday Flying Fox Policy is to set a strategic direction for Flying Fox management across the region. The purpose of the Flying Fox Management Plan is to provide background information of Flying Foxes, where they occur and what roost management options are available to Council to control them in urban areas.

The Council requires a Flying Fox Policy to apply for Flying Fox roost management permits. The State government encourage Council’s to develop a Flying Fox Management Plan to guide Flying Fox management in a council area. Councils with a Management Plan can apply for three year Flying Fox roost management permits from the State Government.

Yes, Flying Foxes are protected under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992. There are large fines for unauthorised destruction of Flying Foxes and their roosts.

Flying Fox occasionally develop roosts or camps in urban area. The bats are a protected native species which are regulated under State legislation. Flying Fox colonies can cause a nuisance when they establish in urban areas. Local Governments now have an ‘as-of-right’ role in controlling Flying Fox colonies or roosts in urban areas, but they still need to undertake the roost management in accordance with the State government guidelines. The development of the Policy and Plan will help to guide Council’s management of Flying Fox roosts and inform the public.