As calls for mandatory horse vaccinations echo throughout Queensland, SCOTS PGC College has taken the horse by the reins, by vaccinating all 18 horses against Hendra virus.
Head of SCOTS equestrian Richard King has led the equestrian residential program at the college for almost five years and said, in many cases, it was not possible to prevent flying foxes access to horses.
“So vaccinating against Hendra is the best way to protect valuable horses and the children and staff that work with them,” he said.
“We can wish ourselves free of flying foxes all we like, but I believe that they will always be around in eastern Australia, and so they should be,” he said.
“The numbers might be lower and I am not arguing the need to be able to move them on for public safety reasons, but if all that gets sorted out, horses will still come into contact with the virus. So we are just going to vaccinate and hope others follow our example.”
The college equestrian team has experienced unprecedented success under the guidance of Mr King, who brings international experience to Warwick.
“In Europe and the United Kingdom, viral diseases in horses are a part of life,” he said.
“So you grow up just doing what you must to protect very valuable animals from disease.”
The vaccination is hoped to encourage others to follow suit and prevent any potentially devastating outbreaks.
It comes as the State Government approved the Southern Downs Regional Council’s application for a damage mitigation permit.
The permit allows Council to move on an estimated 100,000 little red flying foxes from several camps behind Warwick State High School on crown land.
Mayor Peter Blundell has allocated $25,000 to the project which started on Tuesday, with lighting and noise techniques being used between 3am and 6am, the normal roosting hours for the flying foxes.
The company enlisted, known as Nature Call, have some previous success with moving on invasive species, although knowing where the bats will go remains a mystery.
Nature Call was contacted for comment but directed questions back to the Council.
Mayor Blundell made his intentions clear, to shift the bats, during the Council’s general meeting last week.
“Given the location of the bats to one of Warwick’s biggest local high schools and the health risks that imposes, it is best to deal with the bats early and move them to a more suitable location,” he said.
Mayor Peter Blundell raised the matter with Councillors who agreed to progress with the permit, provided more investigation was undertaken to determine how and where the bats could be relocated.
According to Mayor Blundell, the company has previous success shifting unwanted species in areas of contention, but several Councillors raised concerns.
Cr Denise Ingram said moving the bats on could see them reappear in other areas, such as parks and residential areas, and worsen the situation.
Cr Cameron Gow also raised the idea of a more natural and cost effective approach.
“There are government trials which use bird of prey species, such as hawks and eagles, to set up roosts in the trees,” he said.
While Cr Gow admitted the bird of prey theory was still in the practice phase, he added alternatives which reduce cost should be explored.
Cr Jamie Mackenzie said Council should also write to the State Government asking for help to foot some of the bill, as the species are located on Crown Land, not Council land.
Several Councillors agreed it was preposterous to map out where the bats would go and said more information was needed on how they could be relocated.
Cr Jo McNally highlighted that it was not just Warwick State High that uses the Hamilton ovals, but surrounding schools, for little athletics.
Cr McNally also supported a push for State and/or Federal support.
The motion was carried to progress with the permit.
