Media Release

THE new Qld Government has still not responded to a Federal Government offer about ridding communities of deadly bats while more human lives are at risk in the latest Hendra outbreaks, says Australian Party Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter.

"Federal Minister Tony Burke this morning confirmed that he has still not received from the Qld Government a response to his offer to sit down and work out a plan to get rid of bats from our communities," said Mr Katter today following confirmation of two separate Hendra cases at Rockhampton and Ingham, in the Kennedy electorate.

"Since last week, when the Premier was caught out sitting on his hands over his election promise to get rid of the bats, we have had also new research showing the potentially deadly leptosporisis found in the DNA of bats at Mareeba, Gordonvale, Innisfail and Tully.

"The Premier said he’s going to seize the powers to get rid of the bats, but he’s reluctant to shoulder the responsibility.

"Well at this stage we’ve got to question his sincerity, since we are now into our third week since the Federal Government offered him the power so he can get on with the job, and the Qld Government hasn’t even replied.

"They already know that more than 120 people died of Nipah disease carried from flying foxes on the Malay Peninsula; that more than 700 people in China died from SARS; and that in Qld, seven people have contracted Hendra virus and four have died.

"All this is attributed directly and indirectly to bats – such as the deadly lyssavirus (from which two reported human deaths have occurred in Australia) being carried by an estimated 9 per cent of North Qld bats.

"Two of my dozen closest friends in Innisfail have had serious hospitalisation with leptospirosis.

"Only people with a very sick set of values would prevent people from defending themselves against this scourge."

"There needs to be an immediate cull in populated areas."