In May 2019, Cairns Regional Council’s Spectacled Flying Fox (SFF) Management Plan (proposing to disperse the City Library camp and include ongoing deterrence) was deemed a Controlled Action under the EPBC Act, and considered likely to have significant impacts on the SFF population. As such, the referral proceeded to the next stages of the process whereby Council is required to provide more information to the federal environment 
department.
(Read a background on the issue here: https://cafnec.org.au/…/spectacled-flying-foxes-extinction…/)
In response to the request for further information, the Cairns Regional Council (CRC) put forward a revised management plan. That revised plan is required to have public consultation, and CRC must consider community concerns and address them before submitting this revised plan to the federal enviornment department.
To be clear, it is important in your submission to explicitly ask CRC to address concerns or issues you can see in the plan. CRC must demonstrate to the department how they have addressed these concerns.
CAFNEC has been working with the Cairns community to ensure the conservation of SFF for decades. There is a distinct possibility that dispersal in the CBD could result in a negative outcome for both our community and the bats and result in unsustainable costs to ratepayers. Furthermore, Council cannot control where the SFF will relocate to after dispersal and has not properly analysed the risk associated with the SFF roosting elsewhere.
We are asking you to make a submission on Cairns Regional Council’s Relocation Management Plan to relocate approximately 5000 Spectacled Flying Foxes from the Cairns Library roost. The more submissions the better.
Read Cairns Regional Council’s Relocation Management Plan: https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/322832/CRC-Flying-Fox-Relocation-Plan-R07.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3EPIVB6J3mzCeYvRVVzinEloM6TF4nbQwRoFzddJPTRWxHkN29HzAmUuM
Read CAFNEC’s submission as an organisation: CAFNEC Submission – Cairns Flying-fox Relocation Management Plan R07
For more information –
Media Release: https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/…/…/flying-fox-relocation-plan
Background on the issue: https://cafnec.org.au/…/spectacled-flying-foxes-extinction…/
There are two ways you can make a submission:
1) Send your own: We always recommend an individual submission, and have provided a link to the Relocation Management Plan from CRC as well as CAFNEC’s detailed organisation submission above so that you can use them to write your own. To submit it simply send it in an email to feedback@nullcairns.qld.gov.au or writing to Cairns Regional Council, PO Box 359, Cairns Qld 4870.
2) Use our template below: we understand many of us are busy so here is a template option. The template can be edited, and we encourage you to include an introduction of yourself, your interest or any expertise you may have or work you may do with SFF.
The template can also be downloaded here: CAFNEC TEMPLATE_ SFF Submission_Cairns Relocation Management Plan R07
THIS PETITION HAS NOW CLOSED
