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Little Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens greyii)

The Little Broad-nosed Bat is a small, insect-eating microbat found across mainland Australia, including New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It uses tree hollows and built structures, and may occur in shared roosts, so clearing can affect several bats at once. It is listed as least concern, but in Queensland it is treated as a least concern colonial breeder, so tampering with a breeding place requires the higher-risk species management program process.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Colonial breeder. Least concern in Queensland, but it breeds in colonies, so tampering with a breeding place needs a high risk species management program rather than the low risk program.

Breeding season

The Little Broad-nosed Bat breeds in the warmer months. In southern Australia, mating occurs before winter, with births mainly in October and November. Timing may vary between regions and years, so hollow-bearing trees and other potential maternity roosts should be treated cautiously from spring to late summer.

Breeding mode: A colonial breeding microbat. Females give birth in a shared maternity roost, rather than building a nest.

Litter size: Usually twins. Queensland guidance records 1 or 2 young in November.

Breeding timing: Males show enlarged testes from April to November. Most females are pregnant in November. In southern Australia, mating occurs before winter and births occur in summer.

Gestation, weaning and maturity: Gestation, weaning age and age at sexual maturity are not recorded.

Young: Twin young are usually born in October to November and are capable of flight by December. The period of dependence after first flight is not recorded.

Colonies and breeding places: Species records describe small colonies of up to 20 bats. Roosts include tree hollows, old buildings, hollow fence posts and spaces under metal caps on telegraph poles. Other microbat roosts can contain 10 or more bats in a tree hollow, and much larger groups in caves or disused mines. A maternity roost may be confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, pups or repeated emergence of a group of bats.

Field checks and protection: Use Anabat or a similar detector, dusk emergence watches and, where safe and authorised, harp traps or mist nets. Inspect hollow-bearing trees with an endoscope or pole camera. Use two-stage or soft felling for occupied hollow trees. Install exclusion devices only outside the maternity season, and use bat boxes as supplementary habitat, not as a replacement for natural hollows. In Queensland, tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder requires the applicable high risk species management program.

Breeding timing can shift between northern, southern, arid and tropical parts of Australia, so local acoustic surveys, emergence watches and pre-clearance inspections may need to cover more than one season.

  • Reproductive condition and mating: Males are reproductively active from April to November, with mating occurring before winter in southern Australia.
  • Births in maternity roosts: Births are concentrated in October and November, with summer births also recorded more generally for southern Australian animals.
  • Pups and young becoming volant: Young are present from the birth period and are capable of flight by December, although the duration of post-flight dependence is unknown.
  • Roosting, colony and foraging activity: Roosts are used throughout the year for shelter and social contact, while roost sites may change with season, weather or local conditions.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is from September to December, when works may kill adults or pups and damage occupied maternity hollows, buildings or other shared roosts.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Little Broad-nosed Bat is a small, lightweight vespertilionid with a broad, usually hairless muzzle. Field identification can be difficult, especially where small Scotorepens and Vespadelus bats occur together.

The body is slender. Fur may range from light brown to greyish, yellow-brown or reddish-brown above, with paler underparts. A swollen glandular area or tubercle is present beside the muzzle, between the mouth and the base of the ear.

Muzzle: Broad, short, squarish and usually hairless

Body size: Small microbat, commonly less than 10 g

  • Forearm length: 27 to 33 mm.
  • Weight: 4 to 10 g.
  • No noseleaf.
  • Feet less than 10 mm.
  • The calcaneum does not extend halfway along the edge of the uropatagium.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Echolocation calls are not reliable for confident field identification on their own. Use an Anabat or similar detector to record activity, then have calls checked by a suitably experienced analyst where species confirmation matters.

Small Scotorepens and Vespadelus can look alike. The Eastern Broad-nosed Bat, Scotorepens orion, is generally stockier and darker, with a forearm of 33 to 37 mm and a weight of 7 to 15 g. The Northern Broad-nosed Bat, Scotorepens sanborni, is also a potential identification issue in northern areas.

Useful confirmation: A combination of morphology, locality, habitat and acoustic evidence

  • Treat detector identifications as indicative unless the call is distinctive and the analyst is experienced with local species.
  • Use a qualified handler or taxonomist for difficult specimens.
  • Do not rely on photographs alone for small brown bats.

Identification: Field signs

Bats may leave droppings below a hollow, building crevice, bridge joint or other roost entrance. Droppings are small, dark and crumbly, and may contain shiny insect fragments.

There is no nest or bedding structure to look for. Whitewash, staining or odour can occur below long-used roost entrances, but their absence does not rule out a roost. Listen for bat activity at dusk and inspect likely hollows with a pole camera or endoscope where safe.

  • Small dark pellets below a hollow or crevice.
  • Accumulated insect fragments or bat remains below an entrance.
  • Bat movement or calls at dusk.
  • A visible cluster of bats, pups or females inside a cavity.

Distribution: Australian range

The Little Broad-nosed Bat is an Australian species with a broad mainland distribution. Records span a range of climates, from arid inland country to tropical and temperate woodland.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It occurs across northern, eastern and inland Australia, with records extending into southern New South Wales and other temperate areas.

Overseas range: Endemic to Australia. No overseas range is recognised.

  • Northern Australia, including tropical and monsoonal areas.
  • Inland Australia, including arid and semi-arid country.
  • Eastern and southern mainland regions.
  • Local populations associated with rivers, creeks, dams and open woodland.

Distribution: Local distribution on works sites

A site record may represent a nearby roost, a feeding animal or a bat moving between seasonal roosts. Roost use can change with weather, season and disturbance, so a single negative inspection does not prove that a site is unused.

  • Check hollow-bearing trees, old buildings, fence posts and capped poles.
  • Search around waterways and connected vegetation where bats may forage.
  • Consider nearby caves, mines, culverts, bridges and other structures in the wider assessment area.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape

Look for the Little Broad-nosed Bat in open woodland and forest near water, as well as in dry inland and tropical habitats. Retain connected vegetation and mature trees even where the site appears disturbed or partly cleared.

Known habitats include riparian woodland, river red gum-lined watercourses, open woodland, savannah, Melaleuca forest, paperbark swamp, monsoon forest, shrubland, dry grassland and sandy desert.

The species is often associated with streams, creek lines, waterholes and other open areas where flying insects are available.

  • Mature trees with hollows, dead limbs or loose bark.
  • Riparian corridors and wooded creek lines.
  • Open woodland edges and vegetation beside water.
  • Melaleuca, paperbark and monsoon forest patches.
  • Inland red gum watercourses and nearby grassland or shrubland.

Habitat: Site features to inspect

Before clearing, map hollow-bearing trees and structures that could provide day roosts or maternity habitat. Include trees outside the direct clearing footprint if they could be affected by vibration, falling trees, machinery or loss of surrounding cover.

  • Large living trees with broken limbs, cracks or cavities.
  • Standing dead trees and hollow logs where they are safe to retain.
  • Old buildings, fence posts and unused infrastructure.
  • Culverts, bridges, mine workings, caves and rock overhangs.
  • Vegetation surrounding cave, mine and structure entrances.

Foraging habitat: Where to look

The Little Broad-nosed Bat is insectivorous and catches prey in flight. It often uses open airspace along vegetation edges and over water, with activity commonly concentrated near creeks, waterholes and other insect-rich areas.

The species forages below the tree canopy, along woodland edges and above water. It may also forage over grassland, open ground and other relatively clear areas. Some observations describe feeding along creek edges and skimming the water surface to drink.

Typical prey: Flying insects, including beetles, moths, bugs, ants, termites, cockroaches, crickets and flies

  • Creek lines, dams, waterholes and river margins.
  • Edges between woodland, forest, grassland and cleared land.
  • Open space below the canopy.
  • Melaleuca and paperbark vegetation near water.
  • Riparian corridors linking roost trees with feeding areas.

Foraging habitat: Surveying feeding activity

Use ultrasonic detectors along watercourses, habitat edges and likely flight paths. Record activity over several suitable nights where the result will inform clearing decisions, because bats can change their movements with weather and local insect abundance.

An emergence watch at dusk can show whether a nearby tree, building or structure is being used. Detector records should be interpreted with habitat observations and, where needed, trapping or roost inspection.

  • Place detectors near likely roosts and along connected riparian habitat.
  • Watch hollow-bearing trees and structures from dusk without blocking entrances.
  • Avoid unnecessary lighting of waterways, roost entrances and flight paths.
  • Retain vegetation that links roosts with water and open feeding areas.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing

Breeding habitat is any place where females gather, give birth or raise young. In Queensland, the Little Broad-nosed Bat is treated as a least concern colonial breeder, so a breeding place receives more stringent management than an ordinary least concern animal site.

Breeding timing varies across the species' range. In southern Australia, mating occurs before winter and births occur in summer. Pregnancy and births have been recorded in October to November, and young may be flying by December.

Most microbats breed in the warmer months. Plan clearing so that maternity habitat is not disturbed while females are pregnant or while pups are dependent.

Litter size: Usually two young have been reported for this species

  • Expect increased breeding risk from spring through late summer.
  • Use local records, regional climate and survey results to refine the timing window.
  • Do not assume a tree is empty because bats are absent during one inspection.

Breeding habitat: Maternity habitat

Maternity roosts may occur in tree hollows, old buildings or other enclosed roost spaces. A maternity roost is confirmed by finding pregnant or lactating females, pups, or females carrying or closely attending young.

  • Large hollow-bearing trees, including trees with concealed entrances.
  • Buildings, bridge structures, culverts and other enclosed cavities.
  • Roosts close to water and connected feeding habitat.
  • Groups of females using the same cavity during the breeding season.

Breeding habitat: Survey and protection

Use a combination of acoustic recording, emergence watches and direct inspection where it can be done safely. Harp traps or mist nets may help confirm species presence, but they must be operated by appropriately trained personnel and under the required approvals.

Inspect accessible hollows with an endoscope, pole camera or tree-climbing equipment where safe. If a maternity roost is suspected, stop work around the feature and obtain site-specific ecological and regulatory advice.

  • Survey at dusk for bats emerging from hollows and structures.
  • Use Anabat or a similar detector to document activity.
  • Confirm breeding with pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young.
  • Keep a clear record of the tree or structure, entrance, observations and survey conditions.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roosts

The species roosts mainly in tree hollows but can also use human-made structures. Roosts may be used in different seasons or on different days, so habitat assessment should cover more than one type of shelter.

Inspect mature trees with hollows, fissures, loose bark, dead limbs and broken branch stubs. The species is known to use tree hollows, and microbats may select hollows in the largest available trees even when smaller cavities are present.

Rock overhangs, caves, mines and subterranean tunnels can also be important microbat shelters in the broader landscape.

  • Hollow trunks and limbs.
  • Fissures and narrow cracks in trees or rock.
  • Loose or peeling bark.
  • Caves, mine shafts and tunnels.
  • Rock overhangs and sheltered crevices.

Sheltering habitat: Built structures

Inspect old buildings, fence posts, the space beneath metal caps on telegraph poles, bridges, culverts and flood mitigation structures. Check both the structure and surrounding vegetation, because bats may move between several roosts.

  • Unused buildings and roof spaces.
  • Timber and concrete bridges.
  • Stormwater and drainage culverts.
  • Fence posts and capped poles.
  • Abandoned mines and other underground structures.

Sheltering habitat: Roost protection during works

Retain hollow-bearing trees wherever practicable. If a hollow tree must be removed, use a two-stage or soft-felling method under a fauna spotter-catcher, subject to the site risk assessment and approvals. The aim is to reduce injury and allow animals to leave safely.

Exclusion devices may be suitable for non-maternity roosts outside the maternity season. Do not exclude bats from a suspected maternity roost while pups are dependent. Bat boxes can supplement retained habitat, but they do not replace established hollows or a confirmed maternity roost.

  • Retain the tree and surrounding vegetation where possible.
  • Use a pole camera or endoscope before felling when safe.
  • Place sections containing hollows carefully and retain them as habitat where practicable.
  • Install bat boxes only as a supplementary measure, with appropriate placement and follow-up checks.
  • Obtain advice before excluding bats from any occupied roost.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony or maternity roost looks like

A colony is a group of bats sharing a roost or a network of nearby roosts. A maternity roost can contain a large proportion of the local breeding population, so a single hollow or structure may matter far more than its size suggests.

Little Broad-nosed Bat colonies are generally small, with up to 20 individuals reported. More broadly, 10 or more microbats may share a tree hollow, while caves and disused mines can hold hundreds or thousands, especially during breeding.

A maternity roost may look like a normal hollow from outside. There may be no obvious nest. Look for repeated emergence, bats returning to the same entrance, droppings below the cavity, audible chattering, or groups of females and pups inside.

Reported small colony size: Up to 20 individuals

Larger microbat roosts: Hundreds or thousands may occur in caves and disused mines

  • Several bats emerging from one hollow or structure at dusk.
  • Females entering and leaving repeatedly during the breeding season.
  • Pups visible inside a cavity or heard after emergence.
  • Fresh droppings or insect fragments below an entrance.
  • A roost entrance that is warm, sheltered and protected from rain.

Colonies and breeding places: Site use and fidelity

Roosts may alternate with weather, season and daily conditions. A colony may use several nearby hollows or structures rather than one permanent site. Treat a suitable roost as potentially occupied even when bats are not seen during a daytime inspection.

  • Check more than one season where the project risk allows.
  • Assess nearby trees and structures as a roost network.
  • Keep the surrounding vegetation where it provides shelter or a flight route.
  • Use emergence watches to test occupancy rather than relying on a single daytime check.

Colonies and breeding places: How to confirm an active breeding place

The strongest evidence is pregnant or lactating females, pups, or females closely attending dependent young. Repeated emergence from the same feature during the breeding season supports occupancy, but acoustic activity alone does not confirm a maternity roost.

Use a staged assessment. Start with a daytime inspection from the ground, then use an endoscope or pole camera where safe, followed by dusk emergence observations and acoustic recording. Harp traps or mist nets may be used by trained personnel when species confirmation is needed.

  • Record the location and description of every potential roost.
  • Inspect hollows before clearing and again immediately before work if they could not be checked earlier.
  • Stop work if pups, lactating females or a large active group are found.
  • Seek specialist advice before moving, excluding or felling an occupied breeding place.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

Disturbing one colony can injure many bats and remove a substantial part of the local breeding population. Females with dependent young cannot simply be excluded or relocated without a high risk of separating mothers and pups.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires the high-risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation framework. Follow the current Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation requirements before work begins.

  • Plan clearing outside the maternity period where practicable.
  • Use a fauna spotter-catcher during clearing and grubbing.
  • Retain alternative hollows and connected habitat.
  • Document all captures, releases, injuries, roost features and actions taken.

Threats: Clearing and hollow loss

The main site risks are loss of roosts, disturbance of maternity colonies and removal of feeding habitat. Small bats can be difficult to detect, so the absence of a daytime sighting should not be treated as evidence that a tree or structure is unused.

Felling hollow-bearing trees can kill or injure bats and can remove breeding and shelter sites. Large trees, dead trees and trees with loose bark should be assessed before clearing, including trees that could be damaged by adjacent felling.

  • Map and flag hollows before clearing.
  • Retain the largest suitable hollow-bearing trees where practicable.
  • Use soft felling or staged felling when removal cannot be avoided.
  • Inspect felled sections and hollows under fauna spotter-catcher supervision.

Threats: Maternity disturbance and exclusion

Noise, vibration, tree movement and direct handling can disturb colonies. Excluding bats while pups are dependent can trap young or separate them from their mothers.

Schedule work outside the local maternity period where possible. Use exclusion devices only after confirming that the roost is not a maternity roost and that all bats can leave safely.

  • Do not seal an occupied hollow during breeding.
  • Stop work if pups or lactating females are found.
  • Keep machinery and personnel away from active entrances until the response is agreed.
  • Use a staged approach for any roost exclusion.

Threats: Loss of feeding habitat and connectivity

Clearing riparian vegetation, woodland edges and vegetation around water can reduce insect prey and remove flight routes between roosts and feeding areas. Artificial light can also alter bat movement around waterways and roost entrances.

  • Retain creek-side and waterhole vegetation.
  • Maintain links between roost trees, water and open foraging areas.
  • Limit night lighting near waterways and known roosts.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of insect-rich ground and edge vegetation.

Threats: Construction and land management

Construction noise and vibration may cause temporary avoidance, while earthworks can damage culverts, bridges, caves, mines and other roost structures. Forestry, agriculture and housing development can also remove roosts and feeding grounds.

Use a pre-clearance survey and fauna spotter-catcher for clearing and grubbing. If a potential roost cannot be inspected or bats cannot be safely captured, pause the activity and obtain project-specific ecological direction.

  • Inspect structures before demolition, refurbishment or sealing.
  • Protect cave and mine entrances and the surrounding vegetation.
  • Keep a fauna encounter and relocation register.
  • Provide retained trees, hollow logs or supplementary bat boxes only as part of a broader habitat plan.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey for Little Broad-nosed Bats should combine habitat inspection, acoustic detection and direct observation. Use more than one method where hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, mines or other potential roosts may be affected.

Map hollow-bearing trees, loose bark, old buildings, fence posts, bridges, culverts, caves, mine shafts, tunnels and nearby water. Check previous records and aerial imagery for connected riparian woodland, open woodland, paperbark forest and other suitable habitat.

Treat a site as potentially significant where several roost features occur together, where bats have been recorded previously, or where a structure could support a maternity roost. Roost use can change with weather, season and day, so one inspection may not describe use across the year.

Known roost types: Tree hollows, old or unused buildings, fence posts, structures, bridges, culverts and subterranean sites may provide roosting habitat.

Typical small colony: The species has been recorded in colonies of two to twenty bats. General microbat guidance records ten or more bats in some tree hollows.

  • Review threatened species and ecological community records before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Map potential breeding places and retain surrounding vegetation in the design wherever practicable.
  • Confirm whether the activity could affect a matter of national environmental significance and seek an EPBC Act referral decision if required.
  • Check state and territory wildlife requirements before survey, handling, exclusion, relocation or tree removal.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and direct surveys

Use an Anabat or similar full-spectrum or zero-crossing detector along creek edges, waterholes, vegetation edges, tracks and likely flight paths. Survey at dusk and through the first part of the night, when bats leave roosts and begin foraging.

Use emergence watches at hollow entrances, buildings, bridges, culverts, caves and mine entrances. Observe against the night sky and record the time of first emergence, numbers, direction of flight and return activity.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved wildlife research or handling authority, with trained personnel and suitable weather conditions. Release bats promptly unless a licensed wildlife carer or veterinarian is required.

Species identification: Little Broad-nosed Bats are small bats, generally 4 to 10 g, with a forearm length of 27 to 33 mm. Identification can be difficult and should be confirmed by an experienced bat ecologist.

  • Run surveys in suitable weather, avoiding strong wind, heavy rain and unusually cold conditions that suppress bat activity.
  • Repeat surveys across relevant seasons where a roost could be significant, especially where a maternity roost is suspected.
  • Inspect accessible hollows with an endoscope, pole camera, cherry picker or tree-climbing equipment, using trained personnel and a safe access plan.
  • Do not rely on acoustic calls alone to confirm a maternity roost or identify this species where similar Scotorepens and Vespadelus bats occur.

Survey methodology: 3. What to record

Record the location and type of every potential roost, including tree species where known, hollow entrance, height, condition, surrounding vegetation and connection to water or foraging habitat.

For each detector, trap, emergence watch and inspection, record date, start and finish time, weather, temperature where measured, wind, rain, equipment, detector settings, surveyor and effort.

Record call files, photographs, trap effort, captured species, sex, reproductive condition, age class, roost entrance activity, emergence counts and flight directions.

Maternity roost confirmation: Confirmation is strongest when pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are found, or when repeated emergence observations show a breeding group using the site.

  • Mark occupied or potentially occupied features in the field and on project plans.
  • Record pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent young, repeated adult use and any evidence of a maternity roost.
  • Keep a chain of custody for photographs, call files, specimen measurements and release details.
  • Have a qualified person review difficult call identifications and any suspected colony record.

Survey methodology: 4. Colonies and breeding places

A colony may be a group sharing a tree hollow, building, bridge, culvert or other sheltered roost. A maternity roost is a breeding place where young are born or raised. Microbats commonly give birth to one pup in the warmer months, although Little Broad-nosed Bats have been recorded giving birth to twins and Queensland guidance records one or two young in November.

Colony size varies with the roost. Little Broad-nosed Bat colonies are often small, with up to twenty individuals, but general microbat roosts can contain ten or more bats in a hollow and hundreds or thousands in some caves or disused mines. Treat a colony as significant even when the number seen is small.

Roosts may be used repeatedly, seasonally or in rotation. A lack of bats during one visit does not show that a hollow or structure is unused. Repeated use of a familiar site can make loss of one roost especially significant to the local group.

Breeding period: Most microbats breed in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. Local breeding timing must be confirmed for the project area.

  • Call a feature an active breeding place when pups, dependent young, pregnant or lactating females are present, or when repeated observations demonstrate young are being raised there.
  • Inspect from a distance first and avoid blocking entrances, shining bright lights into roosts or repeatedly entering the roost.
  • Assume a roost with dependent young requires special protection until a suitably qualified ecologist confirms otherwise.
  • Protect nearby vegetation, flight paths and alternative roosts as well as the occupied feature.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Plan the work around the roost, not just around the clearing boundary. Confirm approvals, identify every hollow and structure at risk, and give the spotter catcher enough authority and time to stop unsafe or damaging work.

Redesign the footprint to retain occupied roosts, hollow-bearing trees, old buildings and connected vegetation wherever practicable. Retain the largest available hollow-bearing trees when survey information is incomplete.

Obtain advice from the relevant state or territory authority before disturbing a roost or breeding place. In Queensland, tampering with a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

Check whether the work requires a Queensland SMP, a state permit, a scientific or wildlife handling authority, a permit for work on public land, or other approval. Consider an EPBC Act referral where the action may significantly affect a listed threatened species, migratory species or another protected matter.

  • Do not assume least concern status removes the need for approval or a species management program.
  • Obtain written approval before trapping, handling, excluding, relocating or destroying a roost.
  • Include the approved method, responsible people, stop-work triggers and release arrangements in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Allow time for authority review, seasonal constraints and wildlife carer arrangements.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and timing

Complete a pre-clearance survey at least one week before clearing where access allows, then repeat the inspection immediately before work. Flag hollows, loose bark, buildings, bridges, culverts and other habitat features in the field.

Schedule tree removal and exclusion outside the local maternity season where practicable. For microbats, the higher-risk period is generally spring to late summer, when young may be dependent. Confirm local timing rather than relying only on a calendar date.

Use acoustic survey, emergence watches and internal inspection together where a maternity roost is possible. A roost with pups or dependent young must not be excluded, felled or otherwise disturbed under a routine clearing procedure.

  • Plan noisy or high-vibration work away from occupied roosts where practicable.
  • Avoid removing a hollow-bearing tree until its hollows have been inspected or an approved alternative procedure is in place.
  • Survey over more than one season when the roost may be used seasonally or the consequence of loss is high.
  • Stop and obtain ecological advice if a roost is found during the pre-clearance check.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Buffers, exclusion and replacement planning

Set a site-specific no-go area around an occupied roost, including the tree or structure, immediate ground area, nearby vegetation and the main flight path. The ecologist should define the buffer after considering the roost type, noise, vibration, lighting, access and the presence of young.

Where exclusion is approved and no dependent young are present, install a one-way exclusion device outside the maternity season. Leave the roost available until bats have emerged and cannot return, then confirm that no bats remain before sealing or removing the feature.

Prepare replacement roosts before removing an approved roost. Retain suitable nearby trees and install bat boxes or other roost structures only where their design, placement and ongoing maintenance suit local conditions.

  • Fence and sign the no-go area before machinery arrives.
  • Keep lighting away from entrances and flight paths, and use the lowest practical intensity with directional shielding.
  • Do not use smoke, foam, poison, adhesive, netting or unapproved sealing methods.
  • Obtain approval for any exclusion, relocation or destruction of a breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and crew readiness

Give all operators, supervisors and subcontractors a short fauna induction before work starts. Show photographs and maps of flagged features, explain the stop-work process, and identify who can authorise recommencement.

Provide the fauna spotter catcher with safe access, clear lines of sight, radio contact and authority to stop work. The spotter catcher must be visible to operators and clear of machinery.

  • Brief crews on the appearance of a bat, pup, occupied hollow, roost entrance and injured animal.
  • Place the fauna spotter catcher on the pre-start meeting and daily work plan.
  • Keep calico bags, ventilated containers, gloves, a torch, first aid material and wildlife carer contacts available where handling is authorised.
  • Confirm that the spotter catcher has the required training, vaccination and permits for the proposed work.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher in charge of fauna decisions. Work must stop whenever the approved controls no longer match what is found in the field.

Complete a final pre-clearance check, then clear non-habitat vegetation first. Work from the disturbed area towards retained habitat so animals have an escape route and machinery does not isolate them.

Use two-stage or soft felling for hollow-bearing trees where approved. First disturb or gently nudge the tree under spotter catcher supervision, pause to allow bats to leave, then lower sections carefully. Retain the tree or hollow on the ground where the approved method requires it.

  • Remove loose branches and lower hollow sections slowly, with people clear of fall zones.
  • Inspect cut sections, hollows and bark immediately after felling.
  • Keep machinery outside flagged exclusion areas until the spotter catcher releases the area.
  • Stop work if a hollow cannot be inspected safely, if an animal is seen, or if the tree behaves unpredictably.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Active breeding place or colony

If a colony, active breeding place, pup, dependent young, pregnant female or lactating female is found, stop work immediately and protect the whole feature. Do not fell, shake, seal, exclude or relocate the roost until the approved ecologist and relevant authority have confirmed the next step.

Reduce noise, vibration, lighting and people near the entrance. Keep the area quiet and prevent curious workers from entering or repeatedly checking the roost.

  • Mark a larger temporary exclusion zone and record the location.
  • Contact the project ecologist, approval holder and relevant authority as required by the SMP or permit.
  • Arrange an approved maternity-roost management response, which may include retention, delayed work or an authority-approved alternative.
  • Do not separate a pup from its mother or move a breeding colony into a box as an emergency measure.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and release

Only authorised and trained people may capture, examine, transport or release a bat. Use clean, breathable calico bags or approved ventilated containers, keep each animal secure and quiet, and minimise handling time.

Release healthy bats at dusk near the capture site or at the approved adjacent release site, unless the permit, ecologist or wildlife carer directs otherwise. Never release an injured, cold, grounded or unresponsive bat without specialist advice.

  • Do not handle a bat with bare hands.
  • Keep bags off hot machinery, in shade and away from noise and fumes.
  • Do not feed or give water unless directed by a wildlife carer or veterinarian.
  • Record the animal's condition, sex, reproductive status, capture point, release point and release time.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured animal pathway

Stop work around the animal and keep workers, dogs and machinery away. The spotter catcher should assess the bat only if authorised and safe to do so.

Place an injured bat in a secure, breathable container and contact a licensed wildlife carer or veterinarian immediately. A bat that has been touched by a person needs urgent specialist advice because of Australian bat lyssavirus risk.

  • Use gloves and do not attempt treatment in the field.
  • Record photographs and the circumstances of injury without delaying care.
  • Follow the authority's reporting requirements for a dead, injured or exposed bat.
  • Review the work method before restarting.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Records and stop-work control

Maintain a daily fauna register and map all roosts, animals and incidents. The spotter catcher should communicate stop-work directions by radio and record when work stopped and who authorised it to restart.

  • Record species, number, life stage, sex where known, condition and action taken.
  • Record tree or structure number, hollow or entrance details, coordinates, photographs and nearby habitat.
  • Record all captures, releases, carer transfers, deaths, injuries, exclusions and breeding-place discoveries.
  • Attach call files, inspection photographs, permits, approvals and spotter catcher sign-offs to the project record.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

A site is not clear simply because the machinery has left the footprint. Complete a final fauna check, confirm that retained and replacement roosts remain functional, and close out every approval and incident requirement.

Inspect the cleared area, felled hollow sections, stockpiles, buildings and retained vegetation for grounded, trapped or injured bats. Check cavities and bark before material is moved or chipped.

Reinspect retained roosts after the disturbance period where the approval or risk assessment requires it. Look for emergence, re-entry, dead animals, damage, blocked entrances and new lighting or vibration effects.

  • Keep the spotter catcher present for the final inspection and any movement of hollow-bearing material.
  • Do not burn, mulch, bury or transport hollow material until it has been checked.
  • Remove temporary exclusion devices only when the ecologist confirms that doing so is safe and approved.
  • Repair fencing and signage around retained roosts before demobilisation.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a concise completion report against the SMP, permit, approval and construction environmental management plan. Include what was cleared, what was retained, all fauna outcomes and any departure from the approved method.

  • Submit required records to the relevant authority within the approval timeframe.
  • Report breeding-place disturbance, injury, death, unauthorised clearing or failed exclusion through the project's incident system and to the authority where required.
  • Provide maps, photographs, survey data, call files, capture records, release details and replacement-roost locations.
  • Keep records available for audits, future maintenance and later ecological assessments.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring relocated animals and roosts

Monitor approved relocation sites and replacement roosts using emergence watches, inspection cameras and acoustic detectors where suitable. Check for occupancy, bat condition, entrance damage, heat stress, predators and competing animals.

Where a breeding place was affected, use a higher level of follow-up than for a single transient record. Monitoring should cover the next relevant breeding season and continue for the period required by the approval.

  • Use the same locations and broadly comparable methods at each visit.
  • Record presence, emergence counts, species identification confidence, reproductive condition and roost condition.
  • Inspect bat boxes and artificial roosts safely, without opening occupied boxes during the maternity period unless specifically authorised.
  • Escalate poor uptake, mortality, repeated disturbance or failed exclusion to the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Hold a short review after any bat injury, death, breeding-place discovery, unplanned roost disturbance or failed control. Include operators, the spotter catcher, supervisor and ecologist.

Change the work method before the next shift. A repeated incident indicates that the exclusion, induction, sequencing or supervision is not working.

  • Identify the immediate cause and the underlying planning or supervision failure.
  • Update maps, no-go areas, equipment, induction material and stop-work triggers.
  • Check whether additional survey, authority notification or approval variation is needed.
  • Share the corrective action with all crews and subcontractors.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roost habitat

Rehabilitation should restore both roosting habitat and the flight and feeding conditions around it. Little Broad-nosed Bats use hollows, structures and open areas near water, so replacement habitat should be connected to retained vegetation rather than treated as an isolated installation.

Retain standing hollow-bearing trees wherever safe and practicable. Leave suitable fallen hollow sections where approved and safe, and protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, fire, stock and later maintenance impacts.

Replant native trees and shrubs that reconnect riparian corridors, woodland edges and water points. Include species and age classes that will develop future hollows, while recognising that replacement trees will not provide large hollows immediately.

  • Protect existing hollows, loose bark, old buildings and suitable structures during earthworks and site maintenance.
  • Restore natural vegetation around creek edges, waterholes, cave entrances and mine or tunnel entrances where these occur.
  • Keep access tracks, fencing and drainage works from blocking low flight paths or roost entrances.
  • Use local provenance plants where this is consistent with the rehabilitation plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Bat boxes and artificial roosts

Install bat boxes or other artificial roost structures only as a supplementary measure. They do not replace the retention of a natural hollow or an active maternity roost.

Use a design selected by a bat ecologist for local Little Broad-nosed Bats, with appropriate entrance, internal space, placement, shade and weather protection. Install several suitable options where the approved plan calls for replacement roosts, because bats may not accept every structure.

Replacement principle: Bat boxes and artificial roosts supplement, but do not substitute for, retention of natural hollows and active breeding places.

  • Place boxes near retained vegetation, water and known flight paths, but away from bright lights and heavy disturbance.
  • Install and inspect boxes before the original roost is removed where the approval requires replacement habitat.
  • Number and map every box or artificial roost, record its design and installation date, and maintain safe access for monitoring.
  • Do not open or move an occupied box during the maternity season without specialist approval.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, food and lighting

Restore or protect clean water at creeks, waterholes and drainage features that retain ecological function. Maintain native vegetation edges and open flight space where bats can forage on flying insects.

Manage lighting as part of rehabilitation and operations. Bright or poorly directed lights can alter movement around roosts and water.

  • Use warm, low-intensity, shielded lighting only where lighting is required.
  • Point lights away from roost entrances, riparian vegetation, water surfaces and flight paths.
  • Avoid unnecessary night lighting during construction and maintenance.
  • Control sediment, pollutants and invasive weeds before they reach water or flowering and insect-producing vegetation.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Weeds and ongoing maintenance

Control weeds without damaging retained hollows, loose bark, roost structures or nearby native vegetation. Schedule slashing, pruning and chemical use to avoid direct contact with roosts and to retain a varied vegetation edge.

Inspect restored areas after storms, floods, fire and major maintenance. Replace failed plantings and repair damaged boxes, fencing and exclusion controls.

  • Use a weed-control method approved for the site and waterway setting.
  • Keep machinery and chemical storage away from roosts and water.
  • Do not remove dead trees or hollow limbs during routine maintenance without a fauna check.
  • Record maintenance actions and any new bat observations.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor retained roosts, replacement structures, water points and rehabilitated vegetation at intervals set by the approval and risk assessment. Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors and safe camera inspections to measure use over time.

Compare results with the pre-work baseline where one exists. A lack of detection on one visit should not be treated as proof that a roost is unused.

  • Monitor through the relevant breeding period as well as outside it.
  • Record occupancy, species, colony size, breeding evidence, roost condition, surrounding vegetation, lighting and disturbance.
  • Investigate repeated non-use, injury, heat exposure, predation or structural failure and adjust management.
  • Keep the monitoring record with the site's environmental management and approval records.

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