Bob Katter’s son Robbie announces plan to ship thousands of BATS from Queensland to NSW

Going batty: Bob Katter’s son announces plan to ship thousands of BATS from Queensland to NSW to boost their numbers after bushfires

  • Robbie Katter suggested Queensland bats to be shipped to New South Wales 
  • He urged the state government to tackle the issue as residents are ‘driven mad’
  • Last month 250,000 bats descended on Deception Bay, north of Brisbane
  • Prior to that, a helicopter was swarmed by 300,000 bats on its way to hospital

Robbie Katter called on bats to be sent to NSW to deal with the influx in Queensland

Robbie Katter has called on the Queensland government to ship thousands of bats to NSW after the animals’ numbers were decimated during the bushfire crisis. 

Katter is among a handful of Queensland crossbench MPs who are adamant their idea to ship thousands of flying foxes to New South Wales is foolproof.

Towns and cities in the state’s north are being overtaken by huge swarms of bats, while populations across the southern border have been ravaged by bushfires.

Robbie Katter, Bob Katter’s son and now leader of the Katter Australian Party (KAP) says the solution is simple: send the Queensland bats south to ease the burden on fed-up residents, while topping up NSW numbers into the bargain.

Mr Katter has urged the state government to fund and approve a dispersal plan.

‘Dispersals like this are complex but I have personally spoken to professional contractors who could get on the ground now with a reasonable expectation of success,’ he said in a statement.

‘It is shameful that the Minister is presiding over this ecological crisis – if this was in the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane or along Southbank, the matter would have been addressed yesterday.’

Mr Katter urged the state government to tackle the issue as residents are being 'driven mad' by the influx of bats (stock)

Mr Katter urged the state government to tackle the issue as residents are being ‘driven mad’ by the influx of bats (stock) 

The proposal comes after an influx of 150,000 red flying foxes was spotted in the Brisbane CBD – the second time it has happened in just three years.

This led to two local parks being closed, hours being limited at a local swimming pool, and the animals creating homes in trees around schools, aged care homes and private residences.

Mr Katter argued that waiting until April to disperse the bats until April was ‘unacceptable’ because residents are living in ‘terrible conditions’.

He blames the state government for slowing down the process because ‘councils do not have the resources to properly handle issues of this magnitude’.

Following a horror bushfire season from December to January, the city of Brisbane saw an influx of 250,000 bats descend upon Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, and a further 150,000 were seen at nearby Bongaree. 

In Ingham, a small town in North Queensland, the bat population has soared with more than 300,000 creatures taking up residence.

A helicopter making its way to a hospital in the area was swarmed by bats and was unable to land. 

A helicopter in Queensland's north (pictured) was swarmed by a huge number of bats and was unable to land at Ingham Hospital

A helicopter in Queensland’s north (pictured) was swarmed by a huge number of bats and was unable to land at Ingham Hospital

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