A public hearing about flying foxes will be held at Parliament House, Canberra on Thursday.
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The Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will hold the roundtable as part of its inquiry into the protection and management of nationally-protected flying foxes in the eastern states of Australia.
The committee launched the inquiry on November 10.
Public submissions were due by November 18.
Given the short timeframe for submissions, Cessnock City Council voted at last Wednesday’s meeting to make a brief submission and request an extension of time to enable the elected council to consider the matter and provide an endorsed and informed submission.
The council’s general manager Stephen Glen and principal natural environment planner Ian Turnbull will attend the public hearing.
The hearing will focus the circumstances and process by which flying-foxes are listed and delisted as threatened species at both the state and Commonwealth levels; the interaction between the state and Commonwealth regulatory frameworks; strategic approaches to managing species at a regional scale; opportunities to streamline the regulation of flying-fox management and the success or otherwise of management actions.
Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon requested the inquiry in April this year after bat populations in towns on the eastern seaboard – including Cessnock, Singleton and Maitland – reached epic proportions.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he is hoping the inquiry will help elected representatives to “better negotiate the complex web of State and Federal regulations”.
“I want more Members of Parliament to fully appreciate the impact of flying fox colonies on local communities,” he said.
“I’m also happy the inquiry will provide a better understanding of the process for species listing and the circumstances in which they may be de-listed.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he is pleased that in addition to submissions received from directly affected residents, the committee has received a contribution from at least one expert independent of the Environment Department.
“Western Sydney University academic Dr Justin Welbergen is a leading expert on flying foxes and tells me he understands the impact on communities,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“He undertakes research on strategies for assisting communities while ensuring the long-term viability of flying fox colonies.
“The work of academics like Dr Welbergen often receives too little attention and the inquiry will be a good vehicle for learning from his work.”
The committee will meet with key experts, government bodies, and non-government organisations.
Committee chair Andrew Broad said all members of the committee share the concern that flying-foxes should be managed in the most appropriate and sustainable way possible, while catering to their preservation and the livelihood of those in the communities affected.
“Ensuring that there is a balance between the need to protect these important animals, with the ongoing effective management of their impact on the environment and the communities that share their habitat, is a focus for the Committee,” Mr Broad said.
The hearing will run from 10am to 1pm Thursday and will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.
The committee is expected to report in early 2017.
