A Queensland council is taking drastic action as residents face a growing crisis from native flying foxes that has reportedly reduced property values to virtually nothing.
Gympie Regional Council is now considering a property buyback scheme and calling on state and federal governments for financial assistance to address the situation.
Residents' lives turned upside down
Christopher Nevin, who lives near Commissioners Gully in Gympie, said he and his partner were aware of bats in the area when they purchased their property, but the situation has dramatically worsened over the past four years.
The flying fox population has grown substantially, creating constant noise and covering properties in droppings.
"We've had three dead bats in the yard that we've had to scoop up and throw in the bin," Nevin told reporters.
Beyond the noise and mess, residents are concerned about potential health issues and have experienced physical damage to their homes and fences from branches broken by the weight of roosting bats.
Council demands government intervention
Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig has publicly backed a potential buyback scheme and called on higher levels of government to open their "chequebooks" to assist affected residents.
"The residents were there first and the bats have moved in," Hartwig stated. "Their mental health is suffering, their properties have been devalued to basically zero."
The mayor emphasized that state and federal governments have "created the circumstances" through legislation that protects flying foxes and should therefore compensate residents by either purchasing their properties or helping council relocate the bats.
Hartwig argued that residents' lives are "more important than the bats" and noted that many had lived in the area for decades before the flying foxes arrived in such numbers.
Protected species creates complex problem
Flying foxes are protected under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act and also receive federal protection. Some species, including the grey-headed flying fox, are listed as vulnerable.
Conservation groups emphasize that flying foxes play a vital role in ecosystem health, serving as crucial pollinators and seed dispersers for native forests.
Councils have limited options for managing flying fox populations in urban areas, restricted to non-lethal methods such as trimming tree branches and using deterrents like sprinklers.
For residents like Nevin, any buyback scheme would need to provide enough compensation to pay off their mortgage and establish themselves in a new property.
"If we are financially worse off that would be horrible," he said, highlighting the difficult position facing affected homeowners.
