Flying foxes

Question

1. The Queensland Government has recently reversed the phase-out of shooting flying-foxes for crop protection under the Waste Reduction and Recycling and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025. This permits landholders who previously held shooting permits (specifically those who held a Damage Mitigation Permit at any time since 1 September 2012) to continue or resume the lethal control of flying-foxes. This reversal risks undermining the Commonwealth investment of $11.1 million in grants to 158 growers for the installation of netting across 834 hectares under the Horticultural Netting Program, particularly given that growers who received grant funding are not precluded from obtaining a licence to revert to shooting. a) Is the Federal Government monitoring the usage of these Grants? b) Would obtaining a licence to revert to shooting flying-foxes under Queensland Government scheme whilst having a Commonwealth Grant for netting installation be grounds for failing the requirements of the grant? c) Will the Department be reopening this grant scheme or a similar investment? 2. Spectacled flying-foxes are listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and are a priority species in the Commonwealth Threatened Species Action Plan. The Impact Analysis Statement prepared by Queensland Minister Powell on the new regulations acknowledges that spectacled flying-foxes may be killed due to misidentification. Has the Minister or Department raised concerns with the Queensland Minister for the Environment, the Hon Andrew Powell MP, regarding the decision to halt the phase-out of flying-fox shooting? Noting the animal welfare impacts and the risks to Matters of National Environmental Significance under the EPBC Act, including the Vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox, the Endangered spectacled flying-fox, and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Will the Department or Minister raise this matter with their Queensland counterparts? 3. How will the Federal Government respond to combat the impact of flying-fox population declines on the health of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in light of this reversal, seeing as the Federal Court has recognised that spectacled flying-foxes contribute to the ecological value of the World Heritage Area (Booth v Bosworth [2001])?

Answer

Please see the attached answer.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000694.pdf (opens in a new tab)