NSW Greens Upper House MP and environment spokesman Ian Cohen, has called on the Minister for Roads Eric Roozendaal, to immediately suspend demolition work on the old Brunswick River bridge, following the death of significant numbers of a bat species listed as ‘vulnerable’.
“More than 15 per cent of a colony of Large-footed Myotis bats*, listed by the NSW Scientific Committee as ‘vulnerable’ under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, have perished after being locked out and relocated from their maternity roosting area under the bridge, by the RTA,” said Mr Cohen this morning.
“As the demolition work which began yesterday continues, there is a danger that more bats will perish.
“The NSW Scientific Committee identifies protecting ‘roosts from damage or disturbance’ as one of their top three strategies for helping the species to recover.
“The RTA appears to have failed in their obligation to abide by the threatened species legislation.
“The RTA’s ‘bat experts’ captured the bats, then moved them to bat boxes under the new bridge. They were then locked into the boxes throughout the day, to be released at night.
“Given that there may be other colonies under bridges scheduled for replacement in NSW, there is an opportunity for the Minister to establish a clear protocol for bat relocation, to prevent this from happening again.
“Despite the urgency of this situation, I am still waiting for the office of the Minister for Roads to respond,” said Mr Cohen.
Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde: 0417 742 754
*According to the NSW Scientific Committee, the following needs to be done to recover the species:
· Retain native vegetation along streams and rivers and around other water bodies.
· Minimise the use of pesticides adjacent to foraging areas.
· Protect roosts from damage or disturbance.
http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10549
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