Bats in Charters Towers

[Kelly]

The problem of bats , flying fox(s) , in Charters Towers and local area .

The problem of bats in the city has dragged on for a very long time .

But what can really be done , about this problem .

The health issue alone is a real concern .

And it is encouraging to see our local goverment members ,
Member for Kennedy , Bob Katter ,
And Member for Charters Towers , Shane Knuth , share their concern .
Mr Knuth was ignored in state parliament when he tried to raise the issue.
And then was kicked out , of parliament , over this matter .

We very much appreciate their effort .

But what can we really do about this problem ?

:confused:

[Bluey]

What can be done .....

Vote labour out of state parliament to start with ...

The speaker of the house , in state parliament , is not helping our cause .

Challenge Mr Beattie to stay at someones house over night .
That has 100's of bats in their trees , over night .
And see how much sleep he gets .....

Lissner park has been trashed by the bats .

Just cannot belive it has dragged on for so long .

:(

[Lulu18]

It cheeses me off that the government doesn't seem to want to fix the bat problem here. They have watched what is going on for six years now and all they keep giving us as a response is that the bats are protected native species. I understand that, but what I don't understand is if I had a dangerous dog that had the potential to bite someone, they would remove it from my yard. But if I have dangerous bats in my trees, that have the potential to spread disease and kill me and other I just have to live with it. Or better still, be told by government to move house.
When is Peter Beattie going to come and spend a couple of weeks or even days living with the horrible stench and awful screeching?
Worst thing is one day it could be my trees and the next day it could be someone on the other side of town. When will this end?

[Bluey]

So true Lulu18 , :)

If someone complianed about a so called , dangerous dog in your yard .
They could or would remove your the "Said" dangerous dog .
Could even put down , the "Said" dangerous dog .

So why when an animal has the potential to spread disease .
And we have been told of Australian Bat Lyssavirus , Leptospirosis , Salmonella .
That can be transmitted from flying foxes to humans .
Are the government taking so long to do something about it .
Will someone have to get very sick or worse die first ?

And what would happen if someone came to visit you .
Touched a bat or stood in some bat , do , do .
And some how touched , say there feet .
Maby taking off there shoes .
Then later , became sick .....

Could they sue you ? :eek:

Where would one stand if this happened . :confused:

Where would the city council stand if someone became sick from a visit to Lissner Park .
Could they sue the city council ?

And what about the Park Motel .
A very nice place to eat and stay .
But how much trade did they lose over the years .

It is unbelievable .

We also have mango trees that are full of bats from time to time .
The noise and smell is unbelievable .
The mess they leave behind is unbelievable .
One will have to stand outside making a lot of noise , bangging on a drum .
The people that live next door get mad at the noise .
All to try and move on the so and so bats .

The person that live's near the railway in gill street .
with there 2 stroke motor roaring with no muffler to try and move the bats on .
One has to feel sorry for them and the people that live close by .

It is unbelievable .

Unless it is a figment of our imagination .
The potential for someone to get very sick from this problem is high .
The local city council has its hands tied with government rules .
The local city council do try .
And it is encouraging to see our local goverment members ,
Member for Kennedy , Bob Katter .
And local Member for Charters Towers , Shane Knuth , share their concern .
we take our hat off to them both .
And with the help of the Gudjal traditional owners maby something can be done .

This isn't a new phenomenon .
It is a 6 year old plus problem .

It is time for action .

:mad:

[Troy]

We all know about the bat problem and how many years its been going on for, we also know the solutions that the people of Charters Towers have used in the past (to get rid of the bat problem).Ever wonder how the black plague was spread in Europe, sure it wasn't the rats fault but they served very well as carriers anyone whose has anything to do with these bats, and lets face it just about everyone has, has probably encounter the tick that these bats carry around with them. We all know about the diseases these bats are suppose to carry but how about these little creepy crawlies that get around on the bats. Yes we are all told to leave the bats alone but when their in the trees in your backyard there is much you can do about it. If anyone know any more about this or if they think that I have to wrong end of the stick please post and let me know.

[Rob Talbot]

The problem is when the bats are chased out, where do they go? The farmers have cleared their land, which contained the wattle and maleleucas the bats relied on as a food source. While the Member for Charters Towers is reported as saying he is concerned about the bat problem, he is also one of those encouraging on-going clearing of the natural environment, and responsible for it on his own property.

I have a problem with this site when it is reported that (quote) 'Member for Charters Towers, Shane Knuth , share their concern. Mr Knuth was ignored in state parliament when he tried to raise the issue. And then was kicked out, of parliament, over this matter.' The removal of Mr Knuth from state Parliament was coincidental to the subject he was speaking on, not as a consequence of the subject matter. The fact is, Mr Knuth was asked repeatedly by the Speaker to return to his seat while the House was brought to order. This was in order to ensure Mr Knuth could be heard, as certain members of the House were making it impossible for him to do so. By continuing to remain standing and talking, Mr Knuth gave the Speaker no other option but to have him removed from the House. That is the truth of the matter, but this whole bat problem has become so politicised every opportunity for political mileage is pounced on.

I went to Melbourne in 2002 and visited the NRE, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which I believe is now a part of the DPI. I'd researched bats on the net and found out they'd moved a flying fox colony out of the Botanic Gardens there, in Melbourne, and I wanted to find out how they had managed it. They gave me reams of paper on the removal process, which involved catching some bats and putting them in cages, which were left under the roosting tree. Each day, they moved the cages to a new tree and the other bats followed, establishing themselves in the trees above the cages. The bat colony wouldn't leave the ones that were in the cages. So, by 'walking' them away from one place, they re-established them in another place. The trees they wanted them in were the ones under which the caged bats were left for a long time and eventually released, once the other bats had permanently settled into their new home.

All of this I took to City Hall and handed over for delivery to the mayor. Not a word of it has been mentioned since. Now, I find that more than mildly
suspicious. As I have said, the bat problem has become politicised. As much as messers Katter and Knuth pay lip service to the concerns of the public, it has to be at least considered that the removal of the bats would not serve their political purposes as well as if they remain in place. Better to waste money scaring them out of one person's yard into another, round and round, at least for the rest of this political term. While they can cast blame on the Beattie government, and not on the ones who destroyed the bats' food source, the controversy and derision generated by the situation can continue right up to the next election.

For those interested, here is the NRE website regarding the removal of flying foxes from Melbourne's Botanic Gardens:

http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa.nsf/646e9b4bba1afb2bca256c420053b5ce/f4e854c9d1620e4fca256f490019f199/$FILE/mgtplan_final22-52.pdf#search='flying%20fox%20removal%20relocation %20botanic%20gardens%2C%20Melbourne'

Given the very obvious political bias of this site, I have serious doubts this comment of mine will be published.

[Kelly]

Rob Talbot welcome .

Please this is a community forum and your well informed view is welcome .

As to your view that the site is of a political bias .

We are asking for calm and not agitated discussion .

The way your view has shown .

If i had the facts wrong in my first post .
I am sorry .

I think we all would like to find a way to help with this problem .
In a calm and not agitated manner .

:D

[Rob Talbot]

What if you vote Labor out and the bat problem remains? That is highly likely because, unless the incoming historicaly proven incompetent, ineffective and corrupt Nationals promote breaking the law, there is little they can do. They can't change the laws unless the judiciary agrees, because government cannot dictate to the courts. That's guaranteed under the Westminster system of government that has served us so well. If the Nationals could do anything about the bats, they would have come up with a solution already, one which would be a big relief for the Member for Charters Towers. Having been elected on a 'beat-the-bats' platform and not yet delivered, he will be getting increasingly desperate for a miracle between now and the next election. The best he can hope for is a backlash over the health crisis, which by the way is the result of an in-house cover-up, and being fast-tracked to a solution now it is out in the open.

[Rob Talbot]

I am calm and not at all aggitated, I ***ure you. I can out-think a Nationals supporter even on a bad day when I'm not even trying. They think they are so smart, which is really amusing. Your quoting of the Nationals' reporting of Shane Knuth's removal from Parliament is responsible for the impression I gained, and I think it was an understandable impression. To be unbiased, you should report the bare facts. The story of Knuth being removed from Parliament for speaking out about the bats was a lot of hog-feed, fed to and consumed by pig-headed people. Your belief that we are all hoping for an end to the bat crisis goes against the drift of my letter. Some of us do not want the bats to go at all, and I don't mean those few who actually like them. The bats are very useful to some, as ammunition. I say that very calmly and without a hint of aggitation. Some of your readers might like to take a ride on that train of thought and see where it runs to.

[Rob Talbot]

I don't believe it, the sensor machine in this site is so anally retentive it even sensors a word that I would like to quote to you but can't without it being sensored. If you saw my last reply to your comment on my letter, you'll see the word I mean. It is not a derogatory word at all, and has no meaning other than its intended one. If I space it out, it might get past the cyber-bodyguard, so let's see. The word is ure. As you can see, the first three letters are , which to an American means , and so what you have is the technical equivalent of a moron watching the text. Wouldn't it be better to warn writers of the expected standards of this site and then block anyone who disregards the warning? That would stop idiotic words like ***ure appearing in place of perfectly safe and normal words.

[Kelly]

Rob , it is proven that people cannot be trusted .

Yesterday a now banned member joined the forum .
Called the forum owners names .
Run the forum down , by calling it names .
Posted rude jokes in the humour category .
Then tryed all day to re register under other usernames .
And again run the forum and owners down .
Run a general muck .

This is a family website .

Now if this ex member is going to treat people like that on the first day .
How and why , should they be trusted to remain a member .
They did not read the rules of the forum .

So we are to let this person insult people , are we .
Let this person run a general muck .
We think not .
And will not stand for people that think they can come in here and rant and insult .

---

Censorship .

For the reason above , we have to censor some words .
Because the ex member has now ruined it for everybody .
Yes , you can thank , the now ex member .
Now , we have to Moderate new users , BEFORE they can join .
No one can register now with a free email address .

And if it comes to it , we will Moderate threads and posts BEFORE they go public.
Time will tell if this happens .

---

The sensor machine

Rob , if you do not like the way the program works , dont use it .
Simple .

As you have said , you have is the technical equivalent of a moron watching the text .
Thank the now banned ex member for this .
That it has come to this .

Again , if you do not like the way the program works , dont use it .
Start your own website and forum .

Why run down our program .
If you do not like the way the program works , dont use it .

---

General members .

Now for those that think they can run a general muck .
Think they can come in here and insult people .
Well think again .

We are trying to provide a outlet for locals to meet online in CT .
Provide a good and free place to meet .

And will not stand for rubbish .
Play nice , or not at all .

---

Ip address and email address .

For those people that would like to run a muck .
And think they can do it and not be found out who they are .

Think again .

Ip address and email address used the right way can tell alot about the user .
Who they really are and where the PC is working from .

---

So all we ask is people play nice .
Think of others in the views they share .
And not insult others .
There is no need to upset other people on the forum or off the forum .

Play nice , or not at all .

[tubley]

tubleyKelly. The overuse of commas in your opening post is very frustrating to read. And why is everyone putting spaces before their commas? Is there a reason for this?

Bluey, you want Mr Beattie to stay overnight and see how much sleep he gets with all those bats? My response to that is simple – we have a far greater noise problem than bats. I can't even walk two or three houses in Charters Towers without some mongrel dog going of its nut at me and causing me stress. Then when I get home I try to sleep and all I can hear is barking all night. Then you have to worry about the stray ones attacking you. They are more dangerous than bats.

I thought that would be an issue of priority. You can blame the council for the one.

Then there are the noisy and moronic hoons that blast b*** from their stereos and try to run you off the road. You can blame the cops for that one. They are more dangerous than bats.

As for the bats – forget blaming any political party because the problem lies with irresponsible individuals – blame the imbeciles who took away the habitat of the bats in the first place. Those who cannot think two steps ahead. I think we should be a bit more serious about accountability.

Now, as for Mr Knuth, I was almost rolling on the floor laughing when I read about their suggestion to get the aboriginals to eat the bats. Since his original rationale in getting rid of the bats was that they are filthy, disease ridden pests, I must concur with RJ Talbot’s recent submission to the Minor that raised the question of who Mr Knuth hates more, the bats or the aboriginals.

What a joke. I left Charters Towers this year for the hope of a better life, away from illiterate rednecks, pigdogs, hoons and bats. Good luck to all of you.

[Rob Talbot]

I think we got the message about be nice or don't play after the first time you said it actually. No need to brow-beat us. I understand what you're saying, but it might be better to take a risk on someone not being quite so nice, if you want robust debate and people's actual thoughts. This mechanical watchdog you have is a little too close to 'Big brother' for comfort, and I don't mean the so-called reality Tv show. I mean the book '1984' by George Orwell that is referred to by the name of the TV show. I would recommend the movie by the same name for you to watch, or you could read the book. If we make it so hard to say what we think, we can all end up talking like Play School hosts, and what we really think will go unsaid, because we'll all be afraid the machine will deny us the right to say anything. The future you are helping to build is a lot scarier than a few harsh words.

[Kelly]

Rob Talbot we did take the chance .
And look what happened .
One can be nice to people .
But you will always get one that will take it to far .
And by that ruin it for others .

So thank the now banned ex member .
We need the mechanical watchdog because some cannot be trusted .
And only want to cause trouble .

So it is simple now .
One chance only .
Take it to far and out , banned .

If one does not like the site , dont use it .
If ones goal is to come in here and run people down .
Then just go away .
Send a letter to the local newspaper about your view .
Dont come in here and cause trouble .

If someone is going to start a post with .
Doubtless I will be banned from this site for posting ......
Well they must have it the back of there mind some will not like the post .
So why even do it , why upset people .
Say something nice or not at all .
If ones goal is to come in here and run people down .
Then just go away .
Send a letter to the local newspaper about your view .
Dont come in here and cause trouble .

I would like to make it very , very clear .
One chance only .
Take it to far , and out , banned .

Administrator
Charters-Towers.com

[Bluey]

Good one tubly .
As you have said . forget blaming any political party .
Yes i agree .
I do agree .
And i could have gone to far in my first post about a political party .
Shame on me . It was not called for . Heat of the moment .

Yes dogs can be a problem .
Dont know the answer to this one .
But we cannot take it out on the council .

But why blame the police for the hoons as you have said .
They sell cars that can do speed limits far greater the the law allows.
Could it be that this is "not" the police fault .

But running down our city .
Unbelievable .
We wish you a better life in your new home town .

;)

[tubley]

Bluey...

It is in fact council's responsibility to control the dog crisis. I have seen little evidence of this occuring and on the many times I have asked them for help they have been unwilling to adequately do so. I see many houses where there are more than the legal number of dogs and when this is reported I get no response.

Over the past few years the Northern Miner has been inundated with letters complaining about nuisance animals. To me this seems just as urgent as the bat problem.

Charters Towers has a dog problem far greater than any of the other towns I have lived in. To this I can only guess that the council is not taking its obligations seriously enough.

As for the hoons. I agree that the way in which they are marketed encouraged hoons to misbehave. But to an extent I believe it is the responsibility of the cops. I have reported a few incidences including once where I was run off the road when I was riding my bike. It depends on which cop you talk to. Some will turn you away. Others might do something. Perhaps the laws themselves need to be a little stricter as I think hoons get way too many chances.

Sorry for running down the town itself but I have just found it very difficult to get anything done as noone seems to give a damn.

Tubs.

[Rob Talbot]

To start with, what you mean is 'too far', not 'to far'. Once is a typo, more than once is a common error. You say we are not to run people down. That wasn't running you down, it was just a helpful hint. I make mistakes too. I hope you don't consider my suggestion of a political conspiracy using the bats as a lever to oust the present state government 'running people down'. If so, you'll have to ban yourself because you have repeated a lie about Shane Knuth being kicked out of state Parliament for raising the bat issue. I have told you what really happened, but you have not subsequently edited your statement, and so it appears that you endorse the lie. Shane Knuth is a devout Christian, and so he would not want people repeating lies on his behalf. I am sure he was not the one who first created the lie, unless he did so in the belief that it was so, but didn't really understand what was happening. This is highly likely, but to continue the lie is inappropriate for someone who is attempting to host an unbiased website. Over to you.

[tubley]

I am sick and tired of having my posts deleted. What is wrong with them? They were not provoking anyone, simply stating a few facts for consideration. I really am at a loss as to what I am supposed to say that will not get deleted. Kelly - no need for a space before commas. You need to do a bit of work on your paragraphing as well.

Anyway, I am going to try and write something that won't get me deleted. Let me try and see how I go…

Hi everyone. Hope you are all having a lovely day in the best place in the world – Charters Towers. You are all lovely, friendly people and I would like for you to join me for a family BBQ at Lissner Park. Make sure you bring your red cordial and smiles with you.

I love you all.

Tubley.

Now what was the point in that?

[Kelly]

Your post was moved back to where you first wrote it , not deleted .

[Rob Talbot]

It is the police fault if they can't hear the same ratbag screeching his wheels every afternoon outside my place. Is being deaf a part of the police qualifications? It must be. Never mind about my peace of mind, consider that there is a hospital across the road from me, with sick and even dying people in it who have to be disturbed by those nuisances whose parents didn't raise correctly and who think only of themselves.

[tubley]

Ok thanks Kelly. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

[Kelly]

Thats ok , these things happen .

[tubley]

Yes Rob, the hoons are a real menace and I don’t think the cops do enough. Hoons drive like maniacs past the police station because they know they can get away with it. They screech their tyres and blast their stereos as loud as they can go and it creates a distraction on the road. It also creates stress for everyone else who has to listen to it. The excessive noise from stereos is promoted in the media and by hi-fi retailers as acceptable and it is only getting worse.

The sound can be heard throughout neighbourhoods as these hoons fly past day and night. They have nothing better to do with their lives than to drive up and down Gill Street, Church Street, Boundary Street and other popular roads for hours on end. You can’t even partake peacefully in a Saturday night service at the Catholic Church without some fool doing burnouts near MacDonalds, looking for attention.

They are a danger to other motorists, cyclist and pedestrians. They are also a danger to themselves. For some reason these people think that they are more skilled drivers than anyone else. Some of them actually believe that they are race-car drivers as they flaunt their new Holden Racing Team seat covers with their arms hanging out the window. They think they are invincible and have no consideration of the consequences they may cause.

They are also gutless cowards. As a pedestrian and cyclist I have been spat at, swerved at, had burnouts done in front of me and, on many occasions, had the life scared out of me when one of these people screams out the window at me. Of course they think this is funny. But they are only so tough as long as they are in their cars.

These people only think of themselves. It is the kind of mentality that says, "I will do whatever I want, regardless of how it may affect other people". Very Selfish and, if I may say, very un-Australian.

We all pay taxes to use the roads yet it seems to be the hoons who get the best use out of them.

Sorry to stray from the bat topic but, as I said, I think there are far greater pests in this town than bats. Just putting it into perspective.

Tubs.