ROOST management plans for ‘high conflict’ flying fox roosts in parks in Beaudesert and Canungra were released by the Scenic Rim Regional Council, this week.

The management plans are part of a wider program to develop a region-wide strategy and action plans to resolve conflict between human and animal in high trafficked areas.

Council allocated $25,000 to developing the broader plan and implementation actions, when it received a $20,000 State Government grant late last year.

While the region-wide plan is expected to go through a public consultation phase in the near future, work on implementing the plans for the roosts in Beaudesert and Canungra will be more immediate.

The roost in Beaudesert is located in the Lions Bicentennial Park, the one in Canungra is in the Canungra Creek Lions Park.

In a report to Council, General Manager Customer and Regional Prosperity, Debra Howe, reported that each roost had “specific challenges associated with high conflict areas such as schools, hotels, business, homes and community spaces within proximity of the roost site”.

“Each roost has a high risk of transference due to vegetated areas surrounding the site. In each instance, the roost can temporarily expand into higher conflict areas resulting in increasing community impact.

“The plans are designed to address the specific challenges faced at the roost sites, through providing a range of short and long term actions to support private landholders, minimise conflict between humans and flying foxes, improve awareness, and facilitate flying fox conservation in the region.”

Those plans include a wide array of actions such as ‘modification of vegetation’, canopy mounted sprinklers, possible subsidies to private landholders to erect shade sails over animal enclosures and community education.

The flying foxes in the Canungra park began roosting there in 2014. The migration is thought to have been a result of disturbance from road safety works at the former Witherin roost and also possibly food scarcity. One of the options recommended in the management plan is to rehabilitate the Witherin roost by weed removal and freeing up the canopy from woody vines.

The Beaudesert roost was also first populated by flying foxes in 2014. The short to medium term action recommended there is to encourage the flying foxes to roost further towards the western end of the park through improving the habitat around the creek line and lagoon.