“Community attitudes towards flying-foxes in the Clarence Valley” Survey Results

The survey “Community attitudes towards flying-foxes in the Clarence Valley” has closed and the results are in!

We received 56 submissions. Thank you to everyone who participated. You can view the whole Survey Response Report, but here are some of the highlights…

KEY STAKEHOLDERS with an interest in flying-foxes are:

Local residents or community groups; and
Environmental/conservation organisations.

The community’s general KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS of flying-foxes in the Clarence Valley is extremely high. Everyone who took the survey know that flying-foxes live in the Clarence Valley area and have seen or encountered them. A high majority of participants are also already aware that:

Flying-foxes are a native species protected under legislation;
Flying-foxes are important seed dispersers and pollinators;
Flying-foxes contribute to the preservation of native vegetation;
Grey-headed flying-foxes are listed as a threatened species; and
Disease from flying-foxes can be prevented by not handling them.

Understandably, there are mixed FEELINGS AND ATTITUDES towards flying-foxes and habitat restoration amongst the Clarence Valley community. 59% of participants are either currently affected by flying-foxes or have been in the past, but more expressed positive feelings (46%) towards flying foxes than negative ones (34%). More participants also described their overall experiences and interactions with flying-foxes as positive (46%) rather than negative (39%).

The top 3 flying-fox topics of most concern or interest are:

Smell
Flying-fox droppings
Damage to vegetation

70% of participants think flying-foxes are good for the environment, with most agreeing that:

Flying-foxes are environmentally important and should be protected;
Flying-fox habitat should be protected and restored; and
Council has a role to play in protecting flying-foxes and restoring their habitat.

More than half of the participants, however, also agree that:

Flying-foxes are a nuisance that need to be managed;
Living/working/studying near flying-foxes has its challenges; and
Council has a role to play in managing flying-foxes.

When asked what role Council should have in flying-fox management when camps occur on public land, some common responses include:

Community education and information;
Managing, restoring, and protecting flying-fox habitat away from residential areas;
Maintaining street trees and vegetation on public land; and
Relocating flying-foxes when camps set up in residential areas.

Just under half of the respondents showed an interest in participating in community education and/or events about flying-foxes and habitat restoration, with some common suggestions for Council including:

Educational materials and events for the community, including for school children;
Promoting flying-foxes positively;
Creating opportunities for people to see and experience flying-foxes in person e.g. tours/events; and
Opportunities to participate in bush regeneration and tree planting.

Thanks again to all the community members who participated in this survey. Council will be using these results to help inform a Community Engagement Strategy for our Susan Island: Restore to Reduce Conflict flying-fox project. We look forward to sharing this with you soon.